Whistle Down The Wind
by jellybean-kitty
Summary: It was a case of mistaken identity. She found him in her barn, unaware of who he truly was, and promised to help him get back to health. Unfortunately, she wasn't aware she was harboring the subject of a state wide man hunt. AU 1R
1. Scene 1

AN: Whistle Down the Wind was first a book, then a movie and then an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. In it, the themes of redemption, trust and a young girl's belief in God is explored in the setting of late 1950's Louisana. It's by far one of my favourite musicals, but I'd better explain a few things. The story differs in some places in order to fit some of the characters of GW in. For example, Hilde's character is orginally called Candy and is a black girl in the real storyline. Also, you may find yourself annoyed in the way some characters are portrayed but for that I apologise. That's the way they are in the musical and I don't want to have to swerve from that.

In each chapter, I'll give a list of the songs which feature in the dialogue. Of course, in order to make the conversation no too absurd - after all, when in real life do you really speak in rhyme? - I've altered the lyrics in places. If you can get a hold of the songs, I'd adivse you listen to them. The music is really beautiful and it might enhance the story a little bit:P

Song List: "I Never Get What I Pray For", "Whistle Down The Wind"

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Whistle Down The Wind

Scene 1 - The Darlain Property

Relena felt herself free as she ran through the meadow that sat behind the fields of her father's farm. Above her, birds flew through the clear blue sky and when she spread her arms out, she felt as if she was one of them; she could fly too, wherever she wanted, as high as she wanted, even up to the very heavens themselves if the fancy took her. As the long grass dipped into the lull of the land, she lost her footing and tumbled down a small hill, laughing like the child she was but feeling silly like the woman she was about to become. At sixteen, she knew her days of running barefoot through the grass were about to be over. As her father had told her, her place would soon be with her husband and family, not playing with her younger brother and sister like she was no older than them.

Two bodies fell beside her in the grass and she looked to either side of her to find her brother and sister giggling, unaware that they were spending the last months of childhood together for in a short time, she would be searching for a husband and therefore on her way to becoming a woman. Women did not play with their siblings, not in 1959 Louisiana. No. In 1959 Louisiana women worked in the home, waiting for their husbands to return to sit down to a nice family meal. At least, that was how it had been for her mother before she had died a few months earlier. As her father worked in the fields, her mother kept the home clean, looked after her and her siblings and made sure the meal was cooked for her father's return at dinner time. When she greeted her father with a dainty kiss, Relena would watch tenderly and long for the day when she and her husband would share a bond like that, where just a simple kiss could show how much they love each other.

Blinking back a tear, she knew she would never see that sort of lover again until she found it for herself. Her mother was gone. Jesus had taken her up with him to the vaults of heaven where she would looks down upon them at all times and guide them through life. Although she knew she would face womanhood without her mother's guidance, she knew that she was still with her, in her heart and in her thoughts and so, in a way, she was still there to guide her. Only it was through Jesus and God she was doing so. When she thought of her mother, she missed her dearly. She had told her father this many times, and when she did he would smile sadly and stroke her cheek. He would tell that that she lived still, in Relena. All she would have to do would be to look in the mirror and she would see her. Relena knew what he meant. It was not unknown that she looked like her mother. She had the same long blonde hair and baby blue eyes which could bring a grown man to tears if given the right look. She though God had truly blessed her when he'd made her in her mother's reflection; both in beauty and in spirit.

"Relena?" Her sister, affectionately known as Brat to the others though she was really called Bradie. She was known as Brat for she was the youngest of the girls all and therefore the brat of the females in the famliy. Relena turned to her and murmured her name. She was too lost in thought to really listen to her. "If God's so good to us, why don't we ever get what we pray for?"

Knowing she should scold her for such blasphemous thoughts, Relena was about to tut, but then she realised she'd been thinking much the same thing. How many times had she sat up at night asking God to make things better for her but never getting it? "I always wanted to see our saviour face to face, to feel the rapture and fire of that feeling. I used to ask to be taken higher than what I am now, but I never have."

Baby – the youngest of them all at only nine years old – sat up and looked at his sisters in surprise, but at the elder more so. Brat could be forgiven for her naïve comments for she was only twelve years old, but Relena was almost a woman their father had told him. God would smite her for such words! "Relena!"

She shrugged and pushed her long blonde hair behind her ears. "Well I don't! Even if I prayed for less I still wouldn't get it. Like, that atomic bomb that everyone's building. Have you seen the horrors of it? I prayed that God would end them and has he?"

"I asked if God would let me dance with Ricky Nelson at the homecoming dance," Brat declared, thinking to how she had searched the entire night for her crush but had ended up having to dance with one of the boys in her class or be left alone. "I asked him to make me sexy, beautiful and smart-"

"But there's some miracles that even _He _can't do!" Baby laughed.

"I want a brother you doesn't fart!" Brat retorted.

"Yeah? Well I want a sister who don't burp!"

Relena joined in the game again, knowing that if she didn't her brother and sister would soon be fighting and she'd have to split them up. "I wanted a man who could dance like Elvis."

"I asked to look like Sandra Dee, or Doris Day," Brat said.

Relena smiled and stroked her sister's brown hair which both Brat and her brother had inherited from their father. "Sending down some more angels. We could never have enough."

"Some more money so we could all buy each other stuff!"

Sighing, Baby sat up and folded his arms around his knees. "I think we should all be praying for dad. It's been so scary how he's been since mom...you know. He was crying in the kitchen this morning when he was putting out our breakfast. I got up early and when I went in I could hear him. I ran back into my bed cause there was no way I was going in when he was like that."

Looking at her brother sadly, Relena hugged him. The worst part of their mother's death for Baby John had been the way it had hit their father so hard. In front of them he had been strong and he'd comforted his children just like any father should but when he thought they weren't around his barrier melted and he gave in to his grief. Relena wished that she could comfort him instead, but his pride would never allow it.

"I just want our mother back," Relena whispered to herself, "even if its just for one night. There's things she's got to tell me and things she's got to know. God had no right to take her and she had no right to go. There's so much I didn't tell her and so much I had to say. I just want her back. Oh God, please let her come back. Even if its only for one day. " Her siblings looked at her and she smiled at them, putting her arms around both of their shoulders. She was their mother now, and they all knew it. All motherly duties would fall to her until she was a mother to her own children. "But we never get what we pray for, right? So why wish for what can't be."

"I want her back too, Relena," Brat said, who'd overheard her sister's quiet pleas. "She promised she'd make me a beautiful new dress for next years dance. Now, if Ricky Nelson does show up, the only girl he'll have eyes for will be me and not that Natasha Brown who all the boys want to hold hands with."

Despite her sadness, Relena found herself laughing at her blossoming younger sister. Brat already the start of a beautiful face but she had yet to grow into it. "Tell you what, I'll make you your dress. You can choose the colours and the ribbons and everything. It'll be so pretty that Natasha Brown will wear a bag over her head in shame."

Brat ran her fingers through her sister's silky hair. "Will I ever be as pretty as you? You're lucky to look like mom. She was beautiful. Everyone says I look like dad."

"But dad's handsome. That means when you're older you'll look like he would if he was a girl, right?"

Baby giggled. "He must make a pretty ugly girl then!"

"Baby!" Relena scolded. "Don't listen to him, Brat. You'll be beautiful one day and you won't even need to pray for it. Just you wait and see."

The three children sat in the green grass in silence, contemplating their prayers. If the adults would have heard their complaints they would have surely have been punished and not be allowed out for a week. In their small community, religion was their way of life. It was a poor, farming town but they all thought themselves rich because they had such a strong faith in the Lord. There was once a time when Relena had felt that way too, that she was one of the luckiest people in the world because the Lord was with her in everything she did but when he'd taken her mother from her without any warning her belief in Him had began to falter. In a confessional, she'd confronted her priest about this, voicing her fears of eternal damnation and in a gentle voice he was soothed them, telling her that the Lord understands her anger and indeed welcomes it if it will help relay her grief. He had told her the Lord was sorry he'd had to take her mother from her at such a young age but it was all part of His 'Great Plan'. Well, some plan, Relena thought. He should have reviewed it.

They hadn't even noticed the sky beginning to darken until Brat had suddenly asked Relena the time, knowing that if they were late their father would worry. He'd been in such a state lately that causing him anymore trouble would give them endless guilt.

Relena frowned and looked up at the sky. She had no watch to tell the time with but the sky had reddened enough to let her know. "It's late. Let's hurry on home for dinner before dad throws a fit."

Taking both their hands, the children began their walk through the fields. Relena could hear the crickets chirping their late night song and thought of what her father was going to say if they got in any later. She could hear his stern voice telling him they should have been home by then in her head and shook it away. The more she thought about the trouble the might get into then the more she was going to reluctant to return as quickly as possible. It was a catch twenty two of sorts and she knew it.

They were approaching the sewer behind the field which would lead them back to their house when they passed their father's only farm-hand. He was a traveller called Earl, who had been grateful for any job he could get after he decided to settle down in their town, no matter how little John Darlain could afford to pay him. He had his own family to worry about too: a daughter who was Relena's own age but who she saw very little of as she didn't go to school. As far as she was concerned, Hilde was as much a waster as her rebellious boyfriend: a motorcyle rider called Duo who dropped out of school so he could work in a local garage. It also didn't help Hilde that in such a religious town, anyone who was different was outcasted and ostracised, her father included though Relena had to admit she quite liked Earl's easy going nature and kind heart. He was slowly working himself into the community but it was his daughter who refused to do the same and remained the subject of the town's disapproving whispers and looks.

"Evening Relena, kids," Earl said, tipping his hat in their direction and smiling happily at them. "You'd better be going home before your father starts to worry."

"We're heading there now," Relena assured him. She gestured to the sack Earl held in his hands when she noticed the bulges inside moving. "What have you got in there?"

Earl looked at the younger children nervously and leaned forward towards Relena so they wouldn't hear him. "I've got a couple of kittens here that I've got to send back to Jesus. Sorry, Relena but orders are orders."

Relena watched in horror as Earl dropped the sack into the sewer and with an apologetic smile went on his way. She turned to her brother and sister who didn't know what had just happened. "Wait here, I'll be back in just a second."

Slowly, she descended the ladder which lead into the filthy, stinking sewer. Relena's nature would not allow creatures so innocent as kittens to die without a real cause. To her it was unfair to condemn anything to death just because they had been unfortunate to be born into a world where they couldn't survive without a mother. The kittens were mewing in the sack when she found them but she didn't waste any time checking to see if they were alright. She was already late enough and she could check on them when she hid them in the barn, which she decided would be the safest place until she thought of somewhere better. There were kids at school she knew she could ask if they wanted a pet, though school was out for the Christmas holidays and it would be another few weeks before it started back again.

"What have you got there?" Baby asked when Relena came out of the sewer with the sack which was moving ominously.

"If I tell you, you have to swear to God that you'll keep it secret. If you don't, He'll damn you to Hell like he did Lucifer."

"We swear!" Baby and Brat promised simultaneously.

"It's kittens. I'm going to hide them in the barn until I can find a home for them. But you can't tell dad cause he'll just want to get rid of them and you know what that means?" She drew a finger across her neck and they nodded fearfully. "Good. Okay, let's hurry on home!"

At a sprint, Relena, Brat and Baby ran towards the barn. Since they had stopped keeping livestock, the barn had been deserted by their father and was only visited by the children when they sought freedom from the house on a rainy day. Relena had found herself visiting there more and more often when she wanted to be by herself, to think about things she couldn't really have peace to think about when she had to look after her brother and sister. More closely to the truth, Relena came to the barn to cry. Like her father, she didn't want to see Brat and Baby catch her upset because if they did she knew they would want to know why and soon they would be upset too. It was hard, but if she truly wanted to grieve she had to do it in a place where she would be totally alone and the barn was the only place that fitted that description.

"They're so cute," Brat commented as the four kittens stumbled out of the sack and onto the hay, mewing for food and water. Relena lamented that she wouldn't be able to give them any until she'd been home for dinner.

"They are," Relena agreed. The two tabby kittens pawed at each other playfully and Brat picked up the tortoiseshell and Baby the black and white runt. "But we don't have time to play with them. Tomorrow we can give them names and what not but now we really have to get back to the house before dad hangs each and every one of us."

Dreading the dire consequences of being any later, Brat and Baby followed their elder sister out of the barn, closing the door behind them.

* * *

John Darlain looked out of the kitchen window and watched as his three children approached the house nervously. He couldn't help but smile as he watched them. They were so obedient that he couldn't ask for any better. Now that his wife had passed on, he knew just how blessed he was to have been gifted with three such wonderful children: John Jnr. with his determination to work hard whenever his father needed help in the field and John knew he was going to be strong when he was older; Bradie who was one of the most clever children her teacher had ever taught, he'd been told on parent's night; and then there was Relena. Relena was special to him because everytime he looked at her he could see the child her mother used to be. It had been around Relena's age when they had first met and he could remember it like it had been yesterday. Relena was her spitting image, in looks and in mind. Her free spirit had been passed on to her daughter as had her kindness and great beauty. It was not a secret to him that as Relena was approaching the age where she would soon be marrying there were many young boys only too eager to take her hand. 

The Everly Brothers song playing on the radio finished as the kids finally came in the door, giving him a worried look to see if they would be given a row for being late home. John was willing to let it slide tonight for he was in a good mood and knew that whatever had caused his children to be late was probably a good reason.

"We interrupt this broadcast with another news report. The escaped convict-" John was quick to turn off the radio when he heard that bulletin. It had been playing all day he had been working in the field. In one of the prisons in Louisiana some young murderer had escaped but John knew there would be no profit for him if he came to this sleepy little town. Afterall, there were no banks to rob, only one bus to the nearest city a day and they didn't even have a train station here, though there was a rail road passing around it. In other words, he was fairly certain no escapee would come here so there was no point in worrying his children about it. Not yet anyway.

"Dinner's on the table," John said and took his place at the head of the table. His children put their hands together in preparation for grace. "We thank you, God, for the food you have blessed us with. Through your kindness we do not hunger and through your goodness we eat. Amen."

"Amen," the children chorused.

They all began to eat their roast dinner in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Relena couldn't stop thinking about the kittens with guilt as she ate her fill of cooked chicken. Watching her father carefully, she slipped a few pieces onto the napkin spread across her lap which would do for the kittens dinner. There was some milk in the fridge which she could take too and was sure would not be missed.

"Kids," John said, a clear indication that there was about to be news, for it was a tradition of their fathers that all news was announces at the dinner table be it good or bad. The tone of regret in his voice told them it was the latter in this case. His three children looked up from their meals in expectation and he drew in a deep breath. "As you know, money's been tight this year, what with the stock failing at harvest and the sales not being so good, plus inflations been making everyone suffer. So this Christmas, I don't know if I can afford presents. Normally, your mother would work at Christmas to bring in extra money but..."

Relena laid a hand on his shoulder. "I could do some work at the Cafe. That Hilde girl works there so I wouldn't be the only one my age."

John took his daughter's hand and squeezed it tightly. "That's very kind of you, but I need you here to help me. Brat and Baby are too young to take up your responsibilities."

"That's okay," Brat chirped with a sly look at Relena. "We don't need money for presents. If we pray hard enough God will bring us some. I mean, its Christmas so he's got to answer our prayers _this _time, right?" Relena and John looked guiltily at each other but didn't answer. "I'm going to ask for new lipstick. All the girls are wearing it and I don't have any."

"I want a football!" Baby said. "What about you Relena? What do you want?"

"I just want mom here. That's what I want for Christmas. Mom."

John stopped eating and looked at his daughter. He could see the tears in her baby blue eyes that were fighting to fall but Relena didn't let them. She looked up at the ceiling and blinked to get rid of them. She was being so strong for some one so young. It was the knowledge of the responsibilties her sixteenth birthday had brought her, her becoming a woman soon and he knew it. Her mother had been the same, though her own mother had been there to guide her. Relena had no one but the memories of what she'd been like to help her and it was going to be struggle. He wished with all his heart he could help her but he knew he couldn't. The only thing he could do was repeat words his wife had said before.

He cleared his throat. "You know, if your mother were still here you know what she'd say. Don't complain. Life is tough, but you still survive day to day and the things that truly matter surround and embrace us, comforting us when we need it. The assurance that God will never forsake us so we don't really miss the things that we miss because, so long as we have each other it just doesn't get any better than this."

Baby looked at him with no amusement. "Mom would have said it better."

John laughed his agreement. "Yes, she always did have a way with words."

"I think," Relena said slowly, "what you're looking for is her lullaby. How did it go again?" She hummed the tune to herself until she thought of the words.

"Whistle down the wind, let your voices carry.  
Drown out all the rain, light a patch of darkness  
treacherous and scary.

"Howl at the stars,  
whisper when you're sleeping.  
I'll be there to hold you,  
I'll be there to stop  
the chills and all the weeping.

"Make it clear and strong  
so the whole night long  
every signal that you send  
until the very end,  
I will not abandon  
you my precious friend.

"So try and stem the tide.  
Then you'll raise a banner.  
Send a flare up in the sky,  
try to burn a torch and  
try to build a bonfire.  
Every signal that you send,  
until the very end I'm there.  
So whistle down the wind,  
for I have always been right there."

Brat smiled serenely. "I remember that. She'd sing it to me when I had a nightmare and I'd always get to sleep straight after it."

"Me too," Relena said, her throat catching.

The tears were going to come and this time she wouldn't be able to stop them. She went to the fridge and mumbled something about wanting some milk and went out to the barn so her family didn't have to see her cry. In there she could be alone and grieve without feeling guilty. Her fathers concerned eyes had watched her in the kitchen but she hadn't looked at him as she left. He knew when she was in this kind of mood the best thing was to leave her alone to work it out. She had returned the favour to him many times. It was the way they worked. They had grieved as a family for the youngest children's benefit so it was now time to grieve as a daughter and a husband.

In the yard, she wasn't alone. She caught sight of Duo Maxwell in the moonlight and tried to hurry on but he called to her. Quickly she wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand and waved to him. He was on his motorcycle with his helmet under his arm and on the back of his bike he'd tied a small tree. His long braid swished as he kicked the stand out and hopped off his bike and he grinned widely at her.

"Hey, Relena. How's it going?" He asked cheerfully.

"Duo. What are you doing here?"

He shook his head in mock dismay. "Always to the point, ain't ya?" Relena raised an eyebrow and Duo shrugged it off. "Hilde's dad asked me to deliver your Christmas tree. Said its a 'thank you' for employing him this year. Say, do you like my new bike?"

Relena frowned as she looked at the beat up motorcycle he'd been riding for months. "Isn't that the same one you've always had?"

"Well...yeah. But I replaced the broken headlight and gave it a new paint job. But do you like it?"

Personally, Relena couldn't tell the difference but she knew it was important to Duo and rather than let him down she smiled. "Sure. It's neat."

He grinned even wider. "I fixed it cause you said you didn't want to ride it while it was dangerous. Remember? You said that it was too risky to join me when it didn't have a headlight. It took me a while, but I did extra shifts at the garage so I could get it fixed for you. So what do you say? Will you ride with me? I can take you to the drive in if you'd like."

Relena mentally slapped herself. She remembered her excuse that had held her for months when he'd kept asking her to take a turn on his bike with him. Rather than just say she didn't want to, to spare his feelings she'd made up an excuse that he'd buy. She just hadn't counted on him fixing it so she wouldn't have one anymore. "Won't Hilde be upset at you?"

"She's not here right now."

"Look, I can't tonight. I'm hiding some kittens in the barn and I need to feed them. Some other time when I'm not busy. You better hurry along and give the tree to my father before he tucks Brat and Baby into bed. He won't thank you for disturbing them."

Duo sighed and looked at her irritatedly. "What's it going to take Relena?"

"What do you mean?" She asked him, knowing exactly what he meant.

Without answering her, he shook his braided head and went to her house. She breathed a sigh of relief at his leave. She liked Duo and everything, but she felt sorry for Hilde when he tried to take her out instead of his actual girlfriend. She may not approve of Hilde's attitudes to things she felt strongly about, but that didn't mean the girl deserved to have her boyfriend playing the field for some one he deemed 'better'.

Pushing these thoughts from her head, she made her way to the barn. There was only one window, so there wasn't much light from the moon, but enough for her to see the four outlines of kittens sleeping on a hay bale. She sat beside them and set down the milk and chicken. The kittens mewed at the smell of chicken and she stroked ones head. It began to purr and rub against her hand as she divided up the meat for them all. She smiled at the feeling of their fluffy fur against her skin and took one up onto her lap so she could stroke it better. It arched its back against her stomach in enjoyment

There was a movement behind her and she stood up in alarm, her breath catching in her throat in fear. There was a black outline of a person's figure in the back of the barn and she froze. The figure gave no indication that it knew she was there and she slowly crept towards the wall of the barn to turn on the light.

As the barn was illuminated she cried out, "Who are you?!"

"Jesus Christ!" A man in bloodied and ragged clothing cried out in alarm. He staggered towards Relena and she found she had no where to run. His brown hair was wild but his prussian blue eyes were calm and he fell onto her and hissed, "don't tell anyone I'm here!"

"Wait!" Relena whispered as she tried to support him. "Who are you?"

The man closed his eyes and slid to the floor. "Jesus Christ," he said as the pain overwhelmed him into an exhausted sleep.

Relena's eyes widened as she saw the marks on his hands and feet and her hand flew to her mouth. Her saviour was here!

* * *

Please review! 

jellybean-kitty

* * *


	2. Scene 2

I'm actually loving this fic! I don't know if many readers are but I just love this story so much I'm actually enjoying writing again!

Songs featuring in this chapter are: "The Vow", "Cold", "Unsettled Scores" and "If Only".

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Whistle Down The Wind

Scene 2 - The Barn and The Bar  


"I'm telling you, Brat!" Relena exclaimed in a hush as she took her brother and sister to the barn the following day. "He's in the barn. I saw him and he spoke to me. He said he was Jesus Christ!"

Following The Man's collapse the night before she'd spent an hour longer than she'd meant to in the barn cleaning up His wounds and redressing them with old rags. Whilst she worked, she couldn't stop looking at His face. She had no idea that the Lord could be so beautiful, nor wild. In all her dreams of one day meeting her Saviour, she had never imagined she'd be like the Mary Magdalene of the Bible stories she heard in school. Of course, Relena was no prostitute and she wasn't going to use her hair to wash Christ's feet, but the sensations was just the same. What's more, He'd entrusted her with a secret and a duty. If she fulfilled that duty, there was no telling what she'd get back in return. The Bible taught her that God rewarded the righteous, and what could be more righteous than nursing Jesus himself back to health?

She hoped He was awoke when they visited so He could tell Brat and Baby the truth. They didn't believe her but she couldn't blame them. If some one came up to her and claimed they had Jesus resting in _their _barn she would scold them for their blasphemy and walk away with her head held high, saying a thousand Hail Mary's in her mind for the retribution of their soul.

But it happened to _her_. This wasn't some kind of childish dream. This was real. He'd had the marks on his hands from where the nails had pinned him to the cross and they were on his feet too. As she'd cleaned his young face – she'd discovered he was a lot younger than she'd initially thought, only a few years her senior – the marks where the crown of thorns had been pushed on his head were there. It couldn't be made up and when Brat and Baby saw them they would know she had been telling the truth. Didn't they know that liars were punished by the fires of Hell licking at their feet for eternity? She wouldn't risk eternal damnation just for some little prank on her siblings. The thought brought her back to when she was younger – much younger than she was now. She had been ten years old and Brat six. Baby was only three and much to young to join in his sister's games. Relena, feeling in a mischievous mood that was rare even for her, had rushed to where Brat had been playing in the yard with her hands to her head.

"Brat!" She had said, dramatically panting as if she'd ran a marathon. "Come quickly! Jesus is down the sewer and we have to get him out!"

But things hadn't gone according to her plan because in a panic Brat ran to their mother and told her exactly what Relena had said. Their mother, who had never been one for giving harsh punishments, had given Relena a row like she'd never given anyone before. To see her mother like that scared Relena, for she normally had the most placid nature that would have put the Virgin Mother to shame. Yet when Relena had pretended their Saviour was reborn, her mother's eyes had gone wide and she'd looked up at the sky in fear. That night, when Relena had come out of the huff of having been given into trouble, she had sat on her mother's knee while she was told why it was such a terrible crime to proclaim Jesus had been reincarnated and was walking amongst them. As usual, all of her mother's lessons had been told using a passage from the Bible and this particular one had been while Moses and his people were wandering the desert. When Moses had gone up the mountain to meet with the Lord, the people had built an idol to worship in his absence and on seeing it, Moses had been enraged.

"You see, Relena," her mother had said, "worshiping others before the Lord is one of the Ten Commandments which will cause eternal damnation. Had Brat believed you, and worshiped whatever she thought was in the sewer, if would have been your soul at risk."

The same mistake Relena had never made again. The fear of God had been put in her at such an early age she could think of nothing worse than committing a sin against Him. She dearly loved Him as she had been told He loved her, just as she loved her parents and just as she loved her siblings.

Running to keep up with her quick pace, Baby frowned. "Are you sure, Relena? You know what'll happen if you're lying, right? God with strike you down with a clap of thunder."

Relana sighed impatiently. "Sure I'm sure. Do you think I would lie about something like this? I'm not longer a child, Baby. I can't kid on the way I used to. Come into the barn and you'll see for yourself."

Looking behind her for signs of unwanted eyes, Relena slid open the barn door and let the light flood in. The kittens were already mewing for their arrival and Relena was glad she'd stuffed some food into the apron of her dress. Once the door was closed, she sent Brat over to turn on the light and there he was, clear as the winter daylight itself. Brat and Baby both gasped when they saw The Man lying fast asleep on the hay bales.

"Look at his hands!" Brat exclaimed quietly. "It truly _is _Him! Oh, Relena!"

Baby walked over to Him but looked at his sisters uncertainly. "What if its not?"

"It _is_," Relena protested. " Baby, can't you see it's Him? And besides, don't you remember? They tell us every Sunday that one day he will return and those that fail to recognise him will burn in a fiery hell. He's returned _now_ and if you deny Him you'll be damned forever." Relena watched The Man sleep, adoring the way his brown hair feel onto her stern features that softened while he rested. "The Bible says that Jesus can raise the dead. If we help him out, he could bring back our mom. Don't you get it? This could be our chance to get mom back!" She sat on the bale beside him and softly stroked his hair. He stirred slightly, but didn't wake. "I always prayed that you would come to save me and I believe You've returned for us at last." She looked at her brother and sister and smiled at them. "Let's make a vow to Jesus, like his apostles did before us. We can be like the new apostles."

"Yeah!" Brat and Baby said.

"We'll give you shelter from the storms and the world outside. You'll be safe and we'll never tell." Relena stood up and smiled at her brother and sister. "This is our vow to you, as Christians and as God's children." A kitten rubbed against Relena's ankle and she picked up the little runt of the litter. "What do you say we start naming these little darlings?" The little black and white kitten nipped at her finger as she teased it with a bit of chicken. "I think this one should be called Runt, since that's what he is." She rubbed noses with the kittens little black one and rubbed the black splodge underneath his chin and smiled softly as it started up its whirring purr.

The two tortoiseshells played around Brat's feet and she laughed gleefully. "These two should be called Tweedledum and Tweedledee."

"How do you tell the difference?" Baby asked.

"Tweedledum's got a completely grey tail and Tweedledee hasn't," Brat replied.

"Well I'm calling the white one Angel," Baby said, proudly. "Cause I think they've answered our prayers."

"Do you know what?" Relena said, looking from the kittens to The Man fast asleep in their barn. "I think you're right."

* * *

Earl pulled his coat up further around his neck as he walked through the town, aware of the looks from some of the townspeople. He had been here for almost six months and still there were times he felt he may as well have been a stranger. Of course, what was he expecting? In these times, the only people welcome in society were white people. Not gypsies, not foreigners and not even black people. It wasn't so bad, though. He'd managed to win the approval of more than half the inhabitants and especially with the Darlain family, which he felt he was almost a part of. The pitying thing was his daughter was the greatest outcast the town knew. Together with her bike riding boyfriend – who he didn't entirely approve of but new underneath the hard exterior lay a good boy – she had become the rebellious teenager he'd never imagined her becoming.

"Afternoon, Earl," A townsman said, tipping his hat in Earl's direction. "Cold one, ain't it?"

In reply, Earl shivered. "Came on so sudden, didn't it? Flowers have all died, the sky's going grey, heat's disappeared. The news said the forecast ain't so good and with it being too cold to work on the farm I'm all messed up with no place to go. Cold, like a frozen teardrop. There's a chill in the air and I think there might actually be ice in my veins." The man laughed heartily and slapped Earl on the shoulder, going on his way. To himself, Earl muttered, "It's like an endless winter. The moons on the run and even the sun's cold."

Another person came up to him, a well dressed woman from the better end of the town which really only consisted of three big and expensive houses. He'd made peace with the woman when he'd been the man to find her missing son after he'd runaway following a row. "How's your daughter doing Earl?"

Earl shrugged. "I gotta see her at some point. I tell ya, that girl ain't set eyes on me all day. The barometer is falling and only she can make it rise. You get that too? The only way you can find heat is when you're kids are around. It's strange how there ain't nothing on the trees and I'm feeling more and more that there's nothing for me here. There's two things I need Mrs. Turnaway: salvation and thermal underwear."

She nodded her agreement with a small smile. "It's cold and its getting colder. The minister's saying they're evacuating Satan who's waiting for hell to freeze over. You know what he's like. Says Satan's got pneumonia."

"That old preacher'll say anything." Earl said, with a slight roll of his eyes. Mrs. Turnaway went on her way with a wave and Earl was about to do the same when he caught sight of Duo parking his motorcycle. "Hey Duo!"

Duo looked around, saw Earl and took off his helmet. "Hey Earl. I delivered that tree last night, by the way. The Darlains loved it and told me to tell ya thanks. Anyway, how's it going?"

"Not bad. Are you going to see Hilde?" Duo nodded. "Tell her to come home tonight not too late. I feel like I've not seen her for days."

Duo watched as Earl sauntered off, fighting against the harsh cold and shrugged. As far as he was concerned it was Hilde's decision if she decided to return home early or not and he wasn't going to pass on a message from her father telling her to do otherwise. Don't get him wrong, he liked Earl. But he was a full adult and that meant adult authority. As far as he was concerned all authority had to be rebelled against if they thought they wanted to try and control him. That's why he'd dropped out of school and gotten work in a garage instead of the factory like his father had told him too and that's why he was dating Hilde. Well, partly why he was dating Hilde. Sure, they got kicks out of each other, but Duo loved the disapproval he got for dating some who the town titled 'beneath him'. It was unfortunate that for Hilde, being a gypsy, fitting in in this town was one of the hardest things to do and if it hadn't been for Duo giving her the motivation, she would have succumbed to them just as he father had.

Secretly, there was one other reason why he was dating Hilde an it wasn't one he was too proud to admit. He was using her. It was cruel, but he was. It was a childish attempt to make the real girl he wanted jealous, but it hadn't seemed to work. The opposite had occurred. He noticed that instead of Relena feeling the bitter envy he'd expected, it had seemed instead that a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She had been happy for him, she'd said and what was worse she'd meant it. Duo wasn't some lovesick fool. He knew there wasn't a chance in hell that sweet, innocent, God loving Relena would fall for him, the high school drop out who believed in God just as much as he believed in non-equality. Still, life had taught him to believe in hope and he did. He hoped one day Relena would realise all she meant to him and return the feelings.

Hilde was already waiting for him in the bar when he entered, sucking up a bottle of Coke with a straw and looking like he hadn't a care in the world. She really was beautiful, Duo knew. Especially in the winter sun. Her blue tinted hair and blue eyes that sparkled when she saw him made her almost irresistible. Almost.

"Hey babe," He said, sliding into the booth across from her with a cocky grin. "Miss me?"

"I'll miss you the day these townsfolk turn atheist," Hilde replied coolly and took another sip out of her Coke bottle. "And I ordered you something to drink." Duo accepted his Coke with a nod of his head. He looked at her while she continued watching the busy streets outside and noticed there was something on her mind. It was the way her eyes seemed to burn with the blue flame of...well, he wasn't sure what it was but it was there. There was a passion for something that he didn't know what but when she looked that way he knew it had to be something good and something he wanted to share her.

He put a hand on hers, ignoring some frowns from other customers at this display of affection. "Hilde, babe? What's wrong?"

Turning away from the window, Hilde looked Duo square in the eyes and set her jaw square. It took Duo all his will power to not reach over and kiss that strong mouth of hers. "I have to get out of here, Duo. I have to get away from the town and see the world."

"Ain't you been travelling around enough?" Duo asked, expecting some sort of bitter retort his way, but instead her reply was heartfelt and – making him nervous still – honest.

"I traveled but I never saw." She rubbed her arms as if a cold breeze had blown over her. "It's this town, Duo, and these people. They're making me restless and I want more. I don't want to be a factory girl or work in the farm. I want to see things, experience things. When I'm in this town, its like there's a chain holding me back that I just want to break free from." She looked at him, searching, the fire burning a hole into his soul as she tried to see what he was thinking.

Duo swallowed hard and then raked a hand through his hair. He was feeling almost the exact same way. He knew how living in this town was like being in confinement without bars or in prison without a sentence. "Babe, I'll take you away from here. That's a promise. Me and you, we'll see the world together."

The bell sounded above the door and Duo turned to see who it was that came in and grimaced when he saw that it was Sheriff Treize Khushrenada, the law of the town. He was still young for having worked his way up to a sheriff, perhaps in his late twenties early thirties. Unfortunately, this made him arrogant as hell, knowing that he was the crème de la crème of the policing schools around Louisiana, though not necessarily unpopular with the locals who admired his no-nonsense attitude towards the juvenile delinquents of the town, a category to which both Duo and Hilde belonged.

His winter blue eyes scanned the perimeter and caught sight of Hilde. Though he had no ill intentions towards the different religions and coloured skins of the town, he knew that the other authorities did.

"The state police are coming and you're kind shouldn't be caught in a place like this," He said with a smile that wasn't quite apologetic nor malicious. It said that that was just the way things were. Hilde looked to Duo with a shrug and walked out with him at her back, giving Treize a cold stare before leaving. His dismissal of Hilde caught the locals's attention and they profoundly approved. "Listen all of you and listen well. There's been a set of prison clothes found about a quart a mile away, and they say that there's a real devil on the loose. I'm giving out an official warning that this man is dangerous and wounded. In a single word, desperate. He's already killed two people and he will not hesitate to kill again. If you see this man, do not go near him unless you have some sort of firearm to protect yourself with."

He took a few more steps, letting his boots clump against the wooden floor, a delicious sound in the silence and stopped. He met every single man's eye once before resuming his speech. "I'm forming a group of vigilantes to hunt this devil down. Any man brave enough and clever enough to join me, step forward now." Treize smirked as every man in the bar got to their feet. He'd track down this devil in their midst like a dog and with the help of these yokels, he'd put it down.

* * *

The children were still playing with the kittens when Relena returned with more milk for them. She was finding she enjoyed this extra responsibility almost as much as she enjoyed caring for Brat and Baby. Everytime a kitten would rub against her she found herself smiling fondly.

"Give me that saucer over here, Baby, so I can give the kittens more milk."

"Milk?" Questioned a voice behind them and Relena realised the Man had awoken without her realising it. The impulse to stand in reverence was so great she was on her feet before she knew it. "Don't you know cats can't stomach dairy food?"

Brat fell at his feet and the Man watched her in confusion. "Sweet Jesus! You're awake. We knew it was you the minute we set eyes on you! You even have the Holy Marks and everything," She added, gesturing wildly at his hands.

"Recog-recognised me?" The Man said, feeling slightly fearful and looking around for a weapon he might be able to use to get away.

"Sure," Relena said, wringing her hands nervously. "Don't you remember last night? You told me who you were. You told me you were Jesus Christ." The Man, realising now there had been confusions, laughed in relief and also at the person who he'd been confused with. If he was Jesus, he'd hate to see the Devil. "Why are you laughing? You are Jesus, aren't you?"

Grinning, the Man shrugged. He could play along with this game so long as it kept him safe. He'd heard of these kind of towns and the Jesus lovers living in them. Not only that but these were _kids: _the easiest people in the world to manipulate. "Sure I am, sweet cakes. But you've got to answer me this. Have you told anyone I'm here?"

Relena and Baby shook their heads, but Brat bit her lip. "I told my friends, but they swore they wouldn't say anything to anyone. Even their parents."

"Good. You have to keep it a secret cause if people find out I'm here, they'll kill me if they find me. You don't want my death on your hands, do you?" Fearfully the siblings shook their heads. "That's what I thought. Do what I ask of you and I'll put a good word in for you to the big guy upstairs."

Relena was about to question this when the pitchfork she'd rested against the door began to wobble, giving them a clear warning that people were trying to get in. "Hide!" She hissed to the Man and he dove behind a large stack of hay, covering himself from head to foot with the stuff. Relena removed the pitchfork from the door so that her father and Earl could get into the barn.

John took a quick look around and then smiled at his children. "What have you been doing in here?"

Smiling back, Relena replied, "We were just talking about Jesus and the Bible."

"If Jesus came back, would he have tattoos?" Baby asked, thinking on the ones the Man had on his arm of a crucifix. John an Earl looked at each other in bemusement.

"If Jesus were to come back he'd better not come back to this town. The people here are so cruel they'd crucify Him within a second! I'd be surprised if they even took the chance to talk to him." Relena claimed. John and Earl looked at each other again, though their glances were far from bemusement. "Speaking of the people, why's there all this whispering and being secretive? What's going on?"

Earl took a deep breath in. "Some foul, corrupt thing had blown in from outside town. They say its the Devil himself."

"Jesus will protect us!"

John put his hands on his daughters shoulders and looked at her lovingly. "That may be so, but we still need to take the right precautions. Supper's ready on the table so come and get it while its hot."

Without another word or protests, the three children and two adults left the barn, leaving the man alone with only the kittens as company. As he emerged from the hay and dusted himself off, he couldn't help but think back on the man who looked like a gypsy's words. A devil, they were calling him? Strange that. The adults called him the Devil, yet the children thought of him as Christ. He sniggered to himself. That was about as opposite as it got. All this talk and ideas of religion got to him. He thought back to him childhood which really wasn't so long ago. In those days when he'd been once called innocent, there was a prayer for the living and the dying, even one to soothe the savage sea. There was a prayer, it seemed for almost everything but God hadn't been a prayer for him, and he hadn't had one either.

There were so many cries in the night he'd tried to ignore. Why didn't he do this? Why didn't he that? So many unbroken chains, so many unsettle scores...

When he'd once been called free, he had noticed so many thinks: that old man at the bank who sneered, the teacher's slaps, the brutal eyes, the uniforms, the lawyers and the traps, it seemed, they'd set out for him; the lonely girls who yearned to love, kiss, dance; the rich and selfish widow in the market for a last romance; the soldier with the smell of war that would never seem to fade; the hero in the playing fields who was forgotten in a day. The betrayers, the betrayed. The abandoned and afraid. The corrupted and the celebrated, endlessly humiliated, gloriously big paraded. It had been said there was a prayer for all of these people and a prayer for everyone that could ever be. The Man knew that was lies. A prayer had been said for all of these and more but there still hadn't been one for him.

He remembered through his life the stern and disapproving lips, the friends who'd just attacked. The fathers that they take away and the ones they can't get back. He remembered the desperate boy who'd slept alone, whoever's in his bed. He'd realised then that the chosen ones got a home and the blessed get ahead. He'd been taught a prayer for every living thing; unborn and deceased. But they hadn't taught a prayer for him, but he was beginning to realise that that was the nature of the beast. The beast he'd been told he was. Godless, hopeless. A life thrown away by mistakes. Where had God been then? When he'd most needed him?

He wasn't sure how many hours had passed since he'd considered all that had happened to him, but it had been a few anyway. The moon was up and it was getting cold. He lay back on the hay and folded his arms underneath his head, thinking more and more. He was surprised he'd still been able to after spending a year or more in prison with only his thoughts as real company. It was said that thinking too much was bad, but he disagreed. Voicing opinions was bad. Giving emotions was bad. It was better to seem heartless than be a tool for pity. Life had taught him that. Keep to yourself, don't talk when you don't need to, don't show what you're feeling. Well, unless under pretence which he seemed to be. He had a part of play now and he'd have to be one damned actor if he could pull it off. The Blessed Saviour, the Holy Son, Jesus F Christ.

The barn door slip open suddenly and the Man grabbed a bottle and smashed it to defend himself. The moonlight settled on a face that showed no fear, but mild curiosity. He closed his eyes in relief when he saw it was only the elder girl from before. He was momentarily stunned by the way her long blonde hair shone in the moonlight making her look like an angel. Her pale skin and blue eyes added to the image and in his mind he saw the halo and wings on her back. As he lowered the broken bottle she smiled softly at him and he couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't seemed to beautiful earlier. Perhaps it was her brother and sister around her which made her seem younger than she was, but with them absent she looked every inch the mature woman. It stuck him that he didn't know what to call her.

"What's your name?" He asked, as she walked towards him, stroking a kitten as she past it.

"Relena," She answered with the slight tingle of bells in her tone. Her voice sounded melodious to him, like she was singing though she was only speaking. "Relena Darlain."

"Well, Relena," he said, his gruff voice causing disharmony with hers, "what would your mother say if she caught you coming to see me in the middle of the night?"

She stopped then. Before she had moved as though she was going to sit with him but the question had made her change her mind and instead she rested on a bale a metre or so away. It was hard to see her properly, but by the way the air had seemed to get heavier he could tell the question had upset her. "My mother's dead. You took her up to be one of your angels a few months ago."

The Man nodded slowly, still looking at her, studying her. "You look like an angel, so if you got your looks from her it was only fitting she be made one too." Relena looked up at him, startled by this unusual form of flattery, and from Christ himself! Maybe she was to become the next Mary Magdalene, if those vicious rumors turned out to be true. "Anyway, what do you want from me? Why have you come?"

For the first time, she looked hesitant and not sure of what to say. He wanted to reach a hand out to touch her; not as a comforter but to see if her skin was really as soft as it looked. Then, at last, she spoke so quietly he had to lean in to hear her. "I...I want you to bring my mother back...Please. I'll do anything you want me to do, just bring her back."

Sorrow, the Man knew, could make a person believe just about anything. It was sorrow, he realised now, that had convinced Relena he was her Lord. She was so desperate to see her mother again she was willing to believe a wanted felon was actually Jesus risen again. If it hadn't been from the way Relena's eyes plead with his own he might have actually laughed but he couldn't. Not when such innocent and desperate eyes seemed to be pleading with his very soul. He almost wished he was Jesus just so he could put an end to her grieving. Almost. Then he realised he could use this situation to his advantage.

"Look, angel," He said, closing his eyes and lying back, "I'm a little too tired at the moment to perform any miracles at the moment but I'll make you a little deal. I will bring your mother back to life _if only _you take care of me and my injuries and keep my little secret just that. Deal?" He held out his bandaged hand and she shook it, a feeling of revelation washing over her as it dawned on her she was shaking the stigmata itself. When she let go he sat back up. "Man, if only all things could be so simple, huh Relena?"

"You know," she whispered, unsure why she was but feeling it was right all the same, "If all we lost somehow came back and if all that died again would grow, if all our dreams were golden and never black or grey...if all our dreams came true then we'd never have to say if only it was so. These are the loneliest words I think I'll ever know."

The Man looked at her, and then, with slow deliberation, moved onto the bale of hay she was sitting at. He put an arm around her shoulder and felt her body tense up immediately, not used to physical contact from a man yet. After a few seconds, she relaxed and even let her head rest against his shoulder. He repeated her words in his head and had to admit he agreed with them. They pretty much summed up his entire life. "If all we'd lost somehow came back, if all that died would grow...If only it were so? Yeah, these are the loneliest words_ I_ know."

* * *

Please review!

jellybean-kitty


	3. Scene 3

Please forgive any types this chapter may have! And it took slightly longer than I thought to put out. I've been quite busy lately so apologies for that.

Songs: 'Tyre Tracks And Broken Hearts', 'Long Over Due For A Miracle', 'When Children Rule The World', 'Annie Christmas', 'No Matter What'.

Disclaimer: I don't own GW nor Whistle Down The Wind

Scene 3 - Under the Bridge 

Duo revved his motorcycle up as fast as it could go and sped down the empty road. With the wind on his face he blinked back angry, frustrated tears and tried to ignore the fact that his cheek was still smarting. When he was riding as fast as the wind, he almost forgot why it was he was close to crying and why it was his face was a mixture of black, blue and white skin. On his bike he finally felt free, like he was going somewhere, like he was going to _be _someone. It was the feeling he craved all the time. Even when he was doing it he wanted to have more. Nothing was enough when he knew he was going to go back to the one horse town he lived in, with the God fearing yokels who frowned whenever they heard Elvis on the radio and scolded anyone who copied his hip thrusting dancing. No. It wasn't enough. Why live life when really it was other people living it for you? And now that they had the state police swarming the place looking for an escaped killer things weren't good for the 'JDs' of the town which was why he was now heading for the Highway Bridge to meet Hilde instead of the bar or somewhere in the town like they usually did. It just wasn't safe for her any more, her being not pure white, or American.

That brought him to another problem he'd been trying to forget. Hilde. He'd promised to take her away and when he'd told her he would he had really meant it. That was the bizarre thing about it. When he was with her he wanted to be with her but when he wasn't...well that was when it really happened. When he wasn't with her he wanted Relena. He could never have her though and he knew it. He was going to pack up and leave one of these days and if Hilde came along for the ride then so be it, even though he would always much rather it was Relena.

In the dark of the night – though it was only leaving six -, Duo screamed. Why did he want her so much? He hated everything Relena stood for. Purity, God, the Goddamn town, goodness. Why was it then that everything breathing second he was with Hilde he wished it was her he was holding? It didn't make sense to him. Surely it couldn't just be because of how beautiful she was? He was certain he wasn't so shallow. It scared him to think that there might be a small part of him that wanted to conform to the society in which he lived and that had sparked his desire for the person who had embodied it. Well, not exactly. Relena, for all her religious enthusiasm, never looked down on anyone. She viewed all people as equal, regardless of what they looked like or where they came from. She was also a firm believer that there was good in everyone. It was evident in the way she walked, the way she spoke and the way she just looked at everything, like it was all beautiful because God had made it.

Oh, God, he wanted her so badly.

As he approached the bridge, he slowed his bike down and slowly brought it to a stop where Hilde was sitting waiting for him underneath it. Her face was cast up at the night sky as she admired the stars, twinkling in the black net like diamonds just discovered in a mine. Duo found his eyes wandering to the hem line of her skirt which was getting shorter by the day. The smooth skin of her thigh was clearly in view and he knew if her father or any other town member would happen to see it she would be chastised for it. But she wouldn't care. She would look at them with notable pity that they couldn't find anything better to do in their day than analyse some teenager girl's attire. Her kick ass attitude drove everyone else to insanity but to Duo it drove him wild – when he was with her. The weather was chilly and he wondered how on earth she couldn't be freezing with her legs on show like that and the only real protection from the cold being the leather jacket she wore.

Her blue eyes flicked on to his face and she frowned. Duo should have known that it would be the first thing she would notice about him. Unforunately there wasn't exactly much he could do to hide his face. Wearing a mask certainly wouldn't suit. She would have taken it off anyway.

"Run in with your dad?"

It wasn't exactly a question. She already knew the answer. The only person who had a one up on Duo Maxwell was Duo Maxwell senior. "You could say that. He wasn't exactly pleased when I down right refused to apply for a job in the factory and you know what happens when his temper flares: he finds himself a human punching bag in the form or me." He gingerly touched the bruise on his cheek and instantly regretted it. It stung like a bitch.

Hilde took his hands when he sat beside her and held them in her own. They were surprisingly warm. "I don't get why you don't just walk out. Seriously. Why do you go back there? Why don't you get out of here? In this Goddamn town it's just another aimless day."

"Another aimless night," Duo agreed.

"We'll go where I can get peroxide hair, and everywhere you'll have your neon lights." Hilde once again looked up to the sky, her eyes searching for something. "I've got a new life waiting and I can't wait to begin it. The thing that gets me down with being young in this down is there's no future in it. None at all. I want fine perfume-"

"And I want a blue Corvette. If there's a death slower than living here and now they haven't found it yet." He lowered Hilde's face so that it was just inches from his own, his eyes focused on hers. "You need a man that knows what you're really worth."

"I've already got him," She said, smiling. "In this life and the next."

Duo shrugged. "I don't give a damn about life after death, but I've gotta get some proof that there's a life after birth. Tire tracks and broken hearts, Hilde. That's all we're leaving behind. It doesn't matter what we're losing. The only thing that matters is what we're going to find."

Hilde grinned widely, repeating his words in her head. "I like that. 'Tyre tracks and broken hearts'. Let's get away from from the past. There's so many ways to stay hungry...so many ways to go fast. Here, the idea of a push up bra is as unholy as the anti-Christ and satin sheets are a luxury we could never afford."

"Things we couldn't afford? How about some real rich food instead of your basic dinners you get here."

"If we go, I want you by my side and you'll be all my own."

Duo looked away from her. "I know what I want half the time but I know that I don't wanna spend another minute alone."

Smirking, Hilde nestled her face into his chest and breathed in the scent of his cologne. "Those good girls never know what they're missing but us bad girls almost always do and what we're missing most are the real good times. I want them bad and I want them now. We were born going faster than the limits allow. If only we could get out. I want to so badly."

"Hey," Duo said, pushing her slightly. "Didn't I promise you I'd take you away from here? Didn't I? Well it's going to happen. Tomorrow night. I'll meet you right here at nine o'clock and we'll leave town together." He leaned forward another inch to meet her sweet lips and let his hand slip under her top and rest on the warm skin on her stomach.

She looked into his eyes, trying to see if there was some twinkle of a practical joke in them but couldn't see anything. "Really?", she asked, breathlessly amidst kisses. "Do you promise?"

Before Duo could answer, a truck horn bleeped at them loudly and he cursed. It was Earl's truck and he was obviously here for Hilde. He rolled his eyes at her and she shrugged apologetically. Earl slammed his door shut and marched up to the both of them, looking angry but at the same time frightened. "What the hell is wrong with you two? You especially Hilde. Don't you know they're laws? Even if they're wrong they shouldn't be broken. You should not be seen in public as close to a white boy as you are with Duo." His gaze softened on the two of them as he hated to rebuke them. "Look, you two need to be more careful. The people in this town hate change and anything that goes against what they're used to. You just...you just have to be careful. Please Duo, take Hilde home. She'll catch her death out here."

Nodding, Duo tossed her a helmet and they both mounted his bike. With a heavy heart, Earl watched them as they sped off down the road and he wondered how long they would be able to keep this up, especially with the state police roaming around everywhere trying to find that elusive killer. It seemed so strange to him. This was a safe haven and now it's gone and dangers on its way. Evil spread out like a stain and darkened all the day. Boundaries wouldn't protect them; locks and bolts wouldn't work the way they should. For the sake of all the children, Earl hoped they would track it down and boot it out for good. They said he killed and killed: no mercy, no remorse, no shame. They said he'd strike again: no dear, no hope, no end. The safe haven that Earl knew? He wished it could be brought back again.

He turned on the ignition of his truck and cranked up the radio, humming along to it as he drove along.

* * *

Relena, Brat and Baby walked back from the town with various groceries they'd been asked to pick up by their father. Relena kept a careful watch on her brother and sister as they skipped along with a bag of shopping being held up in both of their arms while Relena took two of the heavier of the bags with an arm for each. She hated trying to walk Brat and Baby back from the shops since they always seemed to walk just an inch too close to the traffic filled road for her liking. Her heart was practically in her mouth for the entire time, especially when it was already dark. 

Her blue eyes saw Duo walking down the street with his hands stuffed in his pocket and his head bent down, watching the ground and not much else. She sensed a hint of gloom by his exterior and felt the need to say something to him, anything at all.

"Hey Duo!" She said as cheerily as she could. He looked up and saw her bright smile and returned it with a weak one of his own. "Aren't you going to the revival meeting?" Her father had told her that practically every town member was going to it and she was slightly surprised to see Duo hadn't bothered attending, but only slightly. It was the reason they had been entrusted to go to the store at such a dark hour, even though it was only approaching seven o'clock.

Duo cocked an eyebrow at her that told her exactly what he thought about some town revival meeting. "I was with Hilde but then she had to go home." He thought it over for a second and then asked, "Why ain't you at the meeting?"

"Because," Brat said, "We're going to see-" Relena hissed her name underneath her breath and she stalled. "Uh...I mean we're...umm...we can't tell you."

Frowing, Duo looked at Relena. "Why not? Why can't you tell me?"

"It's a secret!" Baby declared, looking proudly at Relena who felt like hitting herself. "Ain't it Relena. It's a secret and we can't tell you."

Relena smiled apologetically at him. "It's a little childish thing. You wouldn't get it. It was really nice talking to you." She walked on, indicating for her siblings to follow her and left Duo watching her retreat. "You two have got to be more careful. If we give away Jesus they'll kill him. Do you want to be responsible for his death?" They shook their heads. "I didn't think so."

They continued on their journey down the street when Brat saw some of her friends laughing together. Relena recognised them from when they had come over to the farm several times and knew that, inevitably, Brat was going to want to play with them before she had to be in for bedtime. Relena wasn't too sure this was such a good idea. After all, the whole town had been darkened by the rumour that a killer had headed their way and it was already dark.

"Can I go play?" Relena knew it was coming. Brat looked up at her pleadingly and Relena was torn. Should she or shouldn't she? "It'll only be for a few hours. I'll be back for curfew."

Sighing, Relena nodded. "Alright. You have my permission. But for heaven's sake don't be late home or you and I will never hear the end of it from dad."

"I won't," Brat smiled. "I promise."

Grinning, Brat ran after her friends, only looked back at Relena (who was now struggling with her third shopping bag) once. She knew that she should probably go back and help her sister and play sometime later but if she was to go home she might not be able to find her friends again since she had no idea where they were off to play. Relena's encouraging smile told her it would be alright and that they would manage so, her mind bated for a while, she ran faster until she'd caught up with the three girls and two boys that made up their little hang, only now the girl count had gone up one.

"Hey guys!" Brat said when she's caught up. The group of five smiled welcomely at her.

"I didn't know you were playing tonight, Brat," Said the eldest girl, Vikki. The children around her nodded enthusiastically. "We thought you had other things to do."

"I done them. Well, most of them. So now I'm allowed out to play."

"What were you doing?" Asked Clarence, always the skeptic even at such a young age. He was the same age and year as all the rest of his friends but still he seemed older.

Brat bit her lip and smiled secretly. "I can't tell you. It's a secret." The cries of outrage and pleads to know what followed her statement and she shook her head. She loved being the center of attention with her friends and this was just the way to be so. Childish curiosity was overtaking them all and even Clarence was begging to know her secret. Brat shrugged. It wouldn't hurt if just a _few_ people knew. Besides, these were her friends. She could trust them. "Weellll...if you _promise _not to tell anyone..."

"We won't!" They all chorused.

"Fine. Well, we found Jesus in our barn. I know it sounds stupid and I know you won't believe me, but its true. It's really him. He has the marks on his hands from where the nails kept him to the cross and he's got the scratches on his head from the crown of thorns. I swear it, guys. It truly is him!"

Vikki looked to the left of her, where Louise was standing and frowned. "Can it be true?"

"Well what do you think?" She replied.

"Does he have those big blue eyes?" Vikki asked. "Maybe this is what everyones whispering about back in town."

Clarence folded his arms and narrowed his eyes at Brat. "I bet its a pack of lies."

Giggling, Charity – the only black child in the group, said "_I_bet he needs a bath." As as an afterthought she added, "Do you think he can drive? I mean, they do have cars now. But its great if he really is alive. We ought to dress up nice to go and see him!"

"Does he have a crown of thorns?" Winston asked. "That's the greatest story ever told."

"Jeez he must be hungry," Louise said. "And, Lord, must he be old! He could turn us all into angels, bless us with a kiss. Do you think he likes gumbo or Elvis? I mean, just imagine what would happen if all of this was true. All the kids would envy us."

"He could get my dad a job!" Said Clarence, letting his inner child take over now. "Or get my mom a dress."

Winston made glasses with his fingers and stared at all his friends. "We could make us all x-ray eyes!"

With a big grin, Brat calmed everyone down. "We should throw him a big party, seeing how its Christmas pretty soon. We'll get a clown and a bird that talks and a big birthday balloon."

"Can't he walk across water?" Louise asked. "He could walk across the lake, or draw water from the stone. Just thing of all the things we could to with a miracle all our own. Come to think of it, I think I saw him crawling through the bayou."

"That's a lie!" They all shouted.

Louise shook her blonde head furiously. "No, it was him!"

"Why'd you think he picked that barn?" Clarance asked, returning to his usual frown. "Where is exactly is he going? Where has he even been? I suppose if we've got Jesus on our side – if it is him at all – that'll make us awful strong." Looking at Brat, he said, "We've got to go and see him now!"

"No!" Brat said quickly. They all looked at her suspiciously and she smiled. "Maybe he should rest."

Almost smirking, Clarence said, "Let's go and get a bible. Give him a little test."

"I'll bet they'll try and hurt him. We'll do whatever it takes to protect him, right. He once saved us and now we'll save him. We're all he's got, for Heaven's sake. But think on the benefits for us. He'd stop the teachers hitting us and the grownups would act so bad. We'd get more toys and lots of love; more than we ever had. You guys are all saying we're long overdue for a miracle. Well, maybe this is it." Brat looked at her friends again. "We've got to keep this secret. We've gotta do this right. If we don't screw up we could save his life. Remember the bible story of the Nativity? Doves and kings and shepherds and wisemen came together, followed a star. They gathered down in a manger, coming from places so far away. We could be like them! Look around us. Midnight is clear cause we have our Saviour here. He's gonna guard each boy and girl. With him around there'll be no hunger or thirst, that last will be first. It'll be so great. All our greatest wishes will be granted. We should shout out and let innocence reign. All our prayers are finally answered; blessed and free of all pain."

"It's like a fairy story!" Vikki declared. "Towers of fire rise ever higher. Magical flags will be unfurled. The demons are gone and its the young now who are strong. We could rule the world!"

Knowing her friends were now fully convinced and believing her, Brat smiled. "This could be the night, tonight, when _children _rule the world. Come on. We should go and meet him."

Eager attitudes all round, the children raced each other excitedly to the Darlain farm, laughing and shouting just as their age allowed. However, things weren't smooth sailing as they thought. Waiting for them, or so it seemed, was Relena glaring darkly at Brat who recoiled from the unfamiliar look her sister was giving her. She couldn't quite believe it. They'd made a vow! Brat, Baby and herself had all swore to each other that they would never tell another soul, and yet here was her little sister with all her little friends, just assuming they could go in and see Jesus! Why, Brat had a lot of explaining to do.

"Just what are all of your friends doing here?" She demanded, her hands balled into fists on her hips.

Trying to be brave, Brat stepped forward to face her sister, feeling a little like a matyr. It wasn't fair if only their family could see Christ. He had to be shared with everyone. Well, almost everyone. Those who wouldn't persecute him, in other words. "Why shouldn't they be here! They have just as much right to see Jesus as we do!"

Relena looked at all the kids coolly and smiled ignorantly. "Jesus? Just what are you talking about, Brat?" She laughed in confusion. "There's not Jesus here. Have you been telling your friends little stories again?"

She felt a pang of guilt as the kid's looked at Brat like they had been betrayed. Brat stamped her foot indignantly. "I'm not making anything up and I'll prove it to you!" She ran to the barn and thrust the door open, smiling as the Man watched them all in curiosity to see what all the fuss was about. "See! I told you! He's sitting right there!"

"Brat!" Relena shouted, not quite believing her own sister had just sold out Jesus Christ for the sake of peer pressure. Her soul would go to hell for sure!

The younger girl rolled her eyes at her sister and shook her head. "We're children. Jesus always has a special place in his heart for children."

The Man looked from Relena to Brat and finally to all the other kids who'd arrived in the barn and were looking at him in awe. In theory, he knew he should be angry at the girl for giving up his location and telling her friends but on the other hand he could possibly use these children for his protection if the time came for it. After all, if they believed so strongly in him would they allow their parents to persecute him? He thought not. The power children had was something to behold, it could almost be as powerful as prayer itself. Yes, it could become very useful.

"Relena," the Man said, looking at her with his cobalt blue eyes almost gentle. "It's fine. What's a bunch of kids, huh? So long as they promise not to tell anyone I don't see a problem. I'm more than happy to meet with more of...my father's creations." He tried his best at a warm smile but his lips didn't quite make it. He hadn't smiled like that for years and it was almost too late to try now.

Brat stuck her tongue out at Relena and, with rather less satisfaction that she would have thought, Relena scowled at her darkly and look her place beside the Man where Brat had noticed she's been sitting a lot. Maybe it was a bit of jealously that Jesus seemed to prefer her to everyone else that had made her want to spite her sister so much, but whatever it was it seemed to be powerful. Trying to sound as gleeful as possible, she put on her smuggest face and said, "I guess you must not know the Bible well enough, but Jesus _always _had time for children to tell them stories."

"That's an idea!" Vikki said. "Please tell us a story sweet Jesus. The blind man!"

"The money lender!" Cried Brat.

"The story of Lazarus!" Winston shouted.

"Story! Story!" They chanted, over and over again.

The Man looked to Relena and ran a hand through his messy brown hair in frustration. "Shut up!" He yelled to them all, irritably. It seemed this plan wasn't going to be as simple as he'd originally thought. All the children looked at him in suprise and he felt a slight pang of guilt that vanished as soon as he knew what it was. "Now are you going to be quiet?" They nodded. "Good. Have you ever heard the story of old Annie?"

Clarence looked at him in confusion. "Is that in the Old Testament?"

"No..." replied the Man. "But it'll be in the next one. And its sort of a Christmas story too because...her name was Annie Christmas. She used to live in these parts, years and years ago when I was just your age. She was a big old girl, was Miss Annie. What a wonder she was. Three hundred pounds and six foot eight and that was only in her bare feet. She could drink and she could fight. She also had a curly black mustache. On the river she was easily the most famous female of that time and even more famously was that she was madly in love with a wild, gambling man called Charlie. But old Charlie? He never even noticed her at all until one day, and what a day that was! To prove to him she was tough and reckless she wore a very special necklace that held a bead for ever ear and nose she had bitten off. Or so it was told. She bit every man who ever did her wrong and kept adding beads until it was thirty feet long and the upshot was...the upshot...the upshot was that old Charlie was impressed and the next thing you know, they were married and what a wedding it was! The very next year she gave him a dozen sons all at once and they were giants! Before they were six, they were seven foot tall! They carried Annie on their shoulders like a prize and she was beaming like an angel."

Smiling at the children, Relena laughed, "An angel with a mustache. How charming!"

"And she always wore that special necklace ever since to remind her what it was that had made her love return her feelings." The children looked at him expectantly. "And that's the end, " he said, not knowing what else they wanted from him."

"But, what was the moral of the story?" Brat asked.

"The moral? Not all stories have to have morals. This one doesn't. Or if it does then I don't know it. So, you satisfied?"

"Well," said Charity, "not really. I wish there was some way for us to show how much we love you, Jesus." She thought for a second and went into her pocket, producing two things and handed then to the Man. "I've got a plastic flower so it will never die. I've got my Grandma's hankie if you ever need to cry."

Vikki looked around her and saw the other kids were looking for possessions they could give Christ. "I've got a pretty bracelet and a mirror. I'm never really going to need them. I'll give them all to you. I'll give you all I've got to give and I guess that's my good deed. I just want to stay beside you; you're the only love we'll need."

"I've got a great big sea shell," Louise said, giving it to the Man. "You put it in your ear then you can hear the ocean. It's like you're really there."

"I've got a glass of fire flies. They make amazing light!" added Clarence.

"I've got a four leaf clover. I'll bring it to you next time," promised Winston.

Relena looked at the man, smiling at the children's efforts and found that he was looking at her too but a strange look in his eyes she'd never seen in a man before. For some reason, she found her breath becoming more shallow than she'd ever known it before. It was the way his eyes were looking into her own; it felt like he was using his higher powers to read what she was thinking and she was ashamed that it wouldn't be anything holy in the slightest. She was thinking if his lips tasted as sweet as they looked.

"Kids," She said, her voice almost catching in her throat, "You all ought to be getting on your way now. It's getting later you and you all know how dangerous it is to walk alone at night. Brat, I want you to go in and see to Baby in the house. I'll be in soon."

She saw that her sister was about to protest but a stern look made her think twice. Slowly her friends filed out of the barn, muttering their goodbyes to the Man and he was returning them, trying to sound as genuine as possible. Finally they all left and they were alone once again, not for the first time and they both equally hoped it wasn't for the last. For a while neither of them said anything, but looked at each other, trying to suss out just what the other was thinking and, in Relena's case, trying to figure out if what she was feeling as unholy.

"Is there a particular reason you've got us alone?" the Man asked, breaking the silence.

Relena shook her head, letting her blonde hair tumble around her face. Gently, the Man tucked the loosed strands behind her ear and let his hand linger on his cheeks. She closed her eyes and pressed her face into his warm hand. "Not really. But I gather there's only so much even Jesus can take from children." She opened her mouth to say something else but though against it.

Leaning closer, the Man asked, "What is it? You can tell me. Come on, Relena. You might never have a chance to tell me and then how will you feel? When you leave me tonight, there's a chance I won't be here tomorrow. It's a small one, but a chance all the same."

She turned her blue eyes up to his. "I'll never leave your side. I'll be the only love you need. No matter what they tell me. No matter what they do. No matter what they teach me, I know what I believe is true." Her fists clenched tightly and he put his hands on them to try and relax them again. But he couldn't. Her feelings were intense. It was clear in the way her voice was strained and trembling. "I can't deny what I believe, I can't be what I'm not. I know this loves forever and I know no matter what."

"Love?" the Man questioned, moving even closer to her.

"Of course," she replied. "We're told we must love Christ. I love you, just like I'm told."

"How do you love me?" He asked, his breathe now upon Relena's cheek and she found to her horror she was leaning in closer too.

"I don't know. But I don't think it's the way we're supposed to in the Bible."

At the very last moment, the Man sat back from her. He wasn't sure what made him do so. Maybe it was her naivety and the way she seemed desperate to believe he really was who he claimed to be. He thought really because it seemed he would be taking advantage of a girl who needed help in a way that no one else seemed able to provide except some divine power. Whatever it was, he wanted to hunt it down and rip it to shreds for as soon as he did, Relena looked at him in confusion and fled from the barn with out another word. He hoped she just needed some time to think about what may just be her teenage hormones acting up.

It made him wonder what had happened to him. At what point had he lost the guiltless, carefree attitude which he'd had all his life? Undoubtedly if he still had this he would have taken Relena in a minute, and more if he could. But no. He hadn't been able to. It would be a lie to say he hadn't wanted to but something inside of him had stopped him from doing anything. Her father was out even now and if he was so eager he could easily chase after her and take what he wanted from her. But he couldn't. He wanted her but he just couldn't. Unsure of what else to do, he picked up a kitten and held it to his chest.

* * *

Treize looked around at the locals who had turned up this meeting and made his face solemn. There had been no further leads on this criminal but it was only a matter of time. He cleared his throat and began to speak, enjoying the anticipation his words would bring. "No matter what the outrage, not matter what the crime. No matter where he's running, he's running out of time. This used to be a safe haven and now its gone. Because of this man danger is on its way to your town. It doesn't matter where he's hiding or how he's hurt. His evil had spread out like a stain and darkened all the day. One thing is certainly for sure. He's better dead than captured for in the whole spectrum of things, he's just a speck of dirt. I don't care what he's scheming or what he's got. If I find him- if we find him – we'll tear him limb from limb. 

"My good people! You've got to prepared to wrestle with the devil in a heartbeat, and this man is as close to a devil as you get."

He stepped down from the podium on which he was standing and enjoyed the mass applause issued on his behalf. Finding this man was proving to be harder than he's ever though but he would find him. He would find him and kill him before he could hurt another person. This he swore to God himself.

End of Act One

* * *

Please review! 

jellybean-kitty


	4. Scene 4

Thanks to fallincherryblossom for reviewin since I couldn't reply personally!

Disclaimer: I don't own GW nor WDTW

Scene 4: The Train Tunnel

It had been yet another dull and dreary winters day and Relena found herself alone yet again in the barn with the Man. They conversation had been standard and Relena felt a slight disappointment that it felt she had just been talking to a regular guy rather than Jesus Christ himself. The things she wanted to talk to him about – the Bible, God, Heaven – he avoided at all costs, even when she brought them up. The only answer she had ever been able to get out of him had been 'its not for you to know'. It may have been wiser of her to have been suspicious but a teenager's beliefs could drown out all forms of sense and Relena knew this more than ever as she'd snuck out of her house that evening to visit the Man once again, glad at having the opportunity to not have to share him with her brother and sister. It felt...right to be alone with him. That was really the only thing she could think of to describe it: right. When they sat together and he leaned over to tell her something, the brush of his fingers against her thigh sent a flush of warmth through her body that no fire had ever been able to give her. It was clear that she had the same effect on him when she accidentally touched his leg trying to chase a kitten. It was pleasure that she'd never felt. How could anything like that possibly be wrong?

Even so, she was beginning to develop a sense of disbelief in him. It was like a woman's intuition though not as finely tuned. There was something in his voice, in his words, in his movements that was making her think that perhaps he wasn't exactly the man he said he was. Such thoughts were instantly dismissed and mentally scolded. Blaspheme, it would be to reject the Lord's human form because he was perhaps more modern that she'd ever thought he could be. Certainly from reading the Bible words like 'man' and 'cool' mingled in with phrases hadn't been part of the expected vocabulary but since when had Jesus ever stuck with the Status Quo? Wasn't that the thing that had led him to his initial death in the first place?

"Relena?" He asked suddenly and Relena noticed his movements were jerky – like he was hiding something.

She tilted her head up at his direction. "Yes?"

He looked at her with his intense blue eyes and took in a deep breath. "Do you believe in me?"

"Yes," she replied, realising that it wasn't quite truthful.

"Do you believe that I would never ask you to do anything that would hurt you?"

"Yes," she said again, happy that this one was actually true. Looking away from her, he sat forward on the hay bales with his head in his hands and she realised instantly that there was something serious on his mind. Not for the first time since they'd met she felt her heart racing. "Stop beating around the bush. What is it you want to ask me?"

Had her voice always been so husky?

"I need you to do something for me," he told her, regarding her with eyes full of uncertainly and, if she wasn't mistaken, a hint of nervousness. She remained quiet until she heard his request. "An old friend of mine – non-Biblical, before you ask – has left a package for me in the train tunnel, bang in the middle and on the tracks. You know where that is?" Relena nodded. "I want you to fetch it for me. I would do it myself but...well...you know what would happen to me if I was to be caught."

Embracing her still childish curiosity, Relena asked, "What's in it?"

"I can't tell you and neither can you look. It's a secret and its got to be kept that way. Can I trust you to get it for me?"

Feeling shaky, she nodded. "I promise I will. I'll find a way."

He noticed that she was trembling and took her hands, guiltily enjoying the warmth he felt coming from her hands. He smirked. "You're shaking."

"So are you."

She was right. The nervous anticipation was close to killing him. He felt as if his very heart had been put in that package and every time a train rolled over the bridge it pounded a million times a minute. With surprising tenderness he hadn't known he possessed, her reached out his free hand and stroked her soft hair.

"Try not to be afraid. So many things can happen and nothings ever quite as bad as it might appear. I'll give you all I've got and you know I can protect you. If you let me, I'll try and stop you shedding ever one more single tear."

Something caught in Relena's throat at his words and she gave a slight smile. "Shelter from the storms?"

"Of course. And refuge from the world outside."

"Safety from danger?"

He nodded. "Escape from all the disappointment that time has passed. I'll heal your wounds and banish all nightmares. I'll put an end to endless tortured nights and give you untroubled sleep at last." The smile he gave her felt creaky and like it needed oiled. He was so unused to smiling over the past couple of years it surprised him that he still remembered how to smile earnestly; a smile without malice. "This is the vow I've made and I'll see it all come true. All you have to do for you is be brave and don't be afraid."

"Promise?" Relena asked, cherishing the words he was saying to her but wanting more. A man had never spoke to her like this before and she wasn't ashamed to think how much she was craving just one more single word from him.

"I swear I'll be with you. This promise that I've made you."

"You will always be with me..." She repeated quietly. "I'll think of everything I've got and I won't be afraid anymore. I won't fear anything because...because I know that no matter what I'll do you'll be beside me with your angels."

"Relena," he murmured in a low voice she could barely hear, "_you're _my angel..."

He leaned in closer to her, his lips ready to taste the sweet flavour from hers. Her heart began to beat faster and she could feel her breath get heavier as she knew what was coming and realised how much she was desperate to have it. His arms were making their ways around her waste so he could hold her when there was a banging at the barn door. In a panic, Relena pushed herself away from the Man, guiltily avoiding his gaze. Cursing, the Man dove behind the hay bales and prayed that whoever wanted in didn't check behind them. Chance having that they did, they were in for quite a nasty surprise.

The banging persisted and Relena instantly thought her father had found her out. If that was the case, her freedom as she knew it was over. The voice ringing from behind the door told her otherwise. Duo shouted in a loud but still hushed voice for her to open up. A bewildered look in the Man's direction told her that a plot was forming in his mind. There was something about the way his eyes had just lit up that seemed to signal a lightbulb had just been switched on in his head.

"Doesn't that friend of yours drive a motorcyle?" The Man asked and Relena instantly knew exactly what sort of plan had been concocted. The sly grin only confirmed her suspicions.

With a resigned nod, Relena rushed over to the barn door, undid the latch keeping it locked and let it slide open. Duo quickly entered and shut it back closed behind him.

"What are you doing here?" Relena asked with the irritation clear in her voice. She was well aware of the Man's eyes watching her every move and his too. It took all her will power to keep the smile from her face at the though of Jesus being ready to jump to her protection. "If my father had found you we'd both be dead!"

Duo crossed his arms with a teasing grin. "Why? What is it you're hiding in here?"

"It's not a matter of hiding anything," she replied with hostile indignation. "I come here to pray where I can get peace and quiet. Except tonight you ruined it." She paused for a second and added, "And you didn't answer my question."

Kicking at the loose strands of straw on the floor, Duo made his way to the bale of hay dangerously close to where the Man was hiding. He patted the seat beside him invitingly and, rolling her eyes, Relena took it. "I came to say goodbye, Relena. I'm leaving town tonight."

"Tonight?" Relena couldn't hide her shock as her hand flew up to her mouth. "But...why?"

"There's nothing here for me, Relena. Nothing at all. I want to go to the bigger cities and make a life for me there. I can't be couped up here all my life where there's no present and not even a future."

The prospect of never seeing Duo again made Relena feel sadder than she liked to admit. Sure, they boy could irrite the living daylights out of her but she by no means disliked him. In truth, she would even consider him a friend. Actually, Duo was probably really her only friend. Her only friend was about to up and leave. The lump in her throat was difficult to swallow.

"So you're just going to go then. You're taking Hilde, right?" Duo nodded. "Well I guess at least you're not going to be alone. When do you leave?"

He looked at his watch with a look of guilt Relena wasn't sure she was suppose to notice. "Now, actually. But I can stay a while if you want me to?"

Hope was so brightly in his eyes Relena didn't have the heart to dash them. Also, she sort of wanted his company to seeing as how it was going to be the last time they would be together. Duo. Her only real friend. Suddenly she felt quite lonely, even with the Man watching her closely from his concealed hiding space. Unwittingly, her eyes flitted in his direction and then back to Duo. Giving him an encouraging smile, she said, "I'd like that."

Duo's body visibly relaxed and Relena noticed she hadn't even realised it tense up. Did she really have such an effect on him? If so, it wasn't intentional. She was no Jezebel. Once she had been told that being beauty was a curse and if she wasn't careful it could be a sin. Beauty led men to lust and woman to vanity, both of which were deadly sins punishable by Hell's fires. Those who were in possession of it had to take care not to use it for their own selfish gain or pleasure. Casting her mind back, she remembered the lecture given to her by a church priest during one Sunday School when a boy had begun crying because she had refused to be his partner in some kid's game. It had been unfair to Relena then and was even more so now. How could some one be responsible for the way they were born? Did that mean she was supposed to repent her sins of beauty because God made her that way? Wasn't everything God did for a purpose? If so, surely then it would be a sin itself to wish to have a physical trait – no matter how bad other people thought it – taken away. Those were Relena's beliefs anyway but just to be safe, she said a mental penance for leading Duo to feel the way he did.

"What's on your mind?" Duo asked her, breaking the silence and removing her from her silent reverie. His eyes flicked to hers and she could see they were shining with the good spirit he seemed to possess, even if he was jaded by life's harsh punishments.

"My mind?" She replied slowly to gather her thoughts. So much was on her mind she didn't know where to start. There was the package she was to collect, Jesus, him, Christmas, growing up. Where to begin? "I guess I'm just thinking about how much I'll miss you. There's so much we've never said to each other, so much we've never done together. You'll always be one of my dearest friends Duo, even when you're gone."

She lightly placed his hands on his as a gesture of friendship and instantly regretting doing so for he inched slightly closer to her as if the move had been somehow suggestive. "Since I'm going, tell me your big secret. I'll tell you one of mine back."

Closing her eyes she sighed. "I can't. It's not my secret to tell. I'll tell you another one if you want." Amused by the boyish huff that followed, Relena smiled. "Sometimes when I'm in bed, I lie awake thinking about things. You know, what life would be like if I wasn't living on the farm or in the town. Some times I wonder what it would be like to star in a movie or record a song or even perform on stage. I don't blame you for wanting to get out of here. Heck, if I didn't have my family in this town I'd even consider leaving it for myself."

Duo could honestly say he was surprised by this. Sweet and innocent Relena had thoughts so similar to his that they could always replace each others? That was weird. He thought Relena cherished the life she had as a farmer's daughter and devoted catholic. Obviously he didn't know her as well as he thought he did. Knowing this secret, he prepared one of his own. Hell, he was leaving anyway. He may as well leave her with a bang. "Sometimes I lie awake at night thinking too, Relena. But..I don't think about freedom, I don't think about getting out, I don't even think about Hilde. What I think about is you."

"Duo..." Relena whispered.

"I've always wanted to be with you but you'd never let me. We were always friends and that was all you'd ever give me. I accept that. I can't make you do anything else otherwise, can I?" He sighed deeply and pushed himself off the hay. "I wish you'd have given me a chance. Just one to show you how much you mean to me."

"But...Hilde?"

Duo snorted. "Hilde's using me as much as I'm using her. We're both each other's ticket outta this dump and we both know it. Once we get out she'll leave me as quick as I'll leave her. It's not a secret between us. I mean sure we've never said it out loud but we know the others thinking it. But that's alright. Neither of us minds since neither of us feels anything different." He turned to face her quickly, catching her off guard. "You have to promise you won't ever tell nobody what I've told you, got it? What would people think?"

With a sly smile, Relena quipped, "And there's me thinking you didn't care what anybody thought." The look he gave her was so defensive she held up her hands to surrender. "Okay, okay. I promise. I won't tell anyone what you've told me and you don't tell anyone what I told you. Deal?"

Her breath caught in her throat when Duo stepped in towards her until they were just inches from each other's faces. "You know, its more sacred if we seal the deal with a kiss." Relena's mind instantly thought back to the Bible and how Jesus had been betrayed by a kiss on the cheek by Judas Iscariot. However she was fairly certain it wasn't her cheek Duo intended on kissing. "Time is running out and the only time I've got left is now. If you trust me, just give it a chance. Don't you see, Relena? When the world wants you to crawl, I'm the one wanting you to dance."

Relena was about to interrupt but there was ferocity in Duo's eyes that gave him away. His mind was on other things and anything she said would probably not be heard. There was things he needed to get off his chest and now would most likely be the only time he ever got to do so. "If you listen to the night you can hear the darkness call. I can barely stand that wait. Hell, I can barely stand at all. Come closer to me like we're sharing the same skin. Then we can get out of this jail cell and let the future in.

"So many things in your life that you're bound to regret. Why didn't I do this? Why didn't I do that? So many chances you've lost that you'll never forget. Why didn't I take it? Why didn't I made it come true? The loneliest words you'll ever know are if only. If only it were so. The emptiest words there'll ever be...it could have been me. It could have been me. You'll have to pay for it later if you don't get it when its going for free. Believe me."

He took a hold of her wrists and smiled softly into her eyes. "Come with me now and we can fly away. There's a time to be saved and you're damned if you stay. Put your foot on the gas and lets just go. Take a chance on a promise and a roll of the dice. We can set a few fires, we can melt of the ice. There's a feast waiting for you and you never even gotten a taste."

"Duo..." Relena said, shaking her head. "There's a _lot _I haven't got."

As if he hadn't heard her, he continues his tyrade. "It's later than you think, Relena."

The Man felt his skin crawl as he watched the teenagers through a gap in the hay. That braided kid was playing with fire, getting as close to Relena when he was watching. The words he was saying, the way he was looking at Relena made him crush the hay in his fists. He had listened in the night too. All he'd ever heard was his plans falling through like right now. It had always been one more fight he'd never win or one more dream that would never come true.

Duo stroked Relena's arms and felt her shudder. "You shouldn't tremble when we touch. Let me show you what to do and how because we'll never be as young as we are right now."

In his like there had been so many cries in the night he'd tried to ignore, the Man thought. Why hadn't he done this? Why hadn't he done that? So many unanswered prayers, so many unopened doors. You make one mistake and it can never be erased. There was one mistake he wasn't going to make. As he watched Duo try to get closer to Relena he realised that he would kill him if he hurt her. The realisation was as raw as the emotions running through his veins like a sea of feelings, the waves crashing down on ever pore of his body and in every crack of his skin.

"I wish one of these nights I could show you what you already know," Duo said with a strange glint in his eye that Relena was horrified to find she wasn't all that appalled to see.

"I don't even know what I know..." She whispered back.

Getting closer still, Duo told her, "Now's the time when you got to let go."

Swallowing hard, she replied, "I wish I could."

"Don't you know?" Duo asked, his face creeping closer. "A kiss is a terrible thing to waste..."

Their lips almost touched when Relena cried, "Wait!" It was the realisation that this wasn't the Man that made her put a stop to it. This was Duo. Duo was her friend. Nothing more and nothing less. She couldn't. She just couldn't. It wouldn't be fair to him to lead him on. If she did, God knew where it would take him. He might feel inclined to stay when it was clear to her that his place wasn't here. He didn't belong. He was like some exotic animal who had been caged up for too long and had to be set free. The look of confusion on his face made her wish she hadn't made him stop, for his sake but she her will had to be strong if she was going to be true to Jesus and carry out his will. "Remember how you always wanted to give me a shot on you bike? Well I think tonight's the night. There's some place I want you to take me."

"I'll take you to the moon and back if you want."

She shook her head and smiled. "No. It's somewhere much closer. The train tunnel."

Not daring to look back, she grabbed Duo's hand and led him outside of the barn, taking care to be as silent as possible. If her father was to hear the barn door shutting and then a motorcycle engine running and then find out she wasn't in her bed she would be done for. Putting a finger to her lips, she signaled for Duo to remain in his rare silent state until they were clear of the farm. She noticed her fingers were trembling as she fumbled with the strap of the helmet Duo had tossed her. Duo had too, it seemed. With surprisingly gentle hands he fastened the safety clip and checked the helmet was secure on her head, letting his hand linger longer than necessary when he felt the make sure the strap wasn't too tight for her. She pretended not to notice, though she had a feeling it had been intentional. The look in his eyes told her it was.

He swung his leg over the seat and sat forward, looking at her expectantly and she became more aware that her long skirt probably wasn't the best attire for traveling in such a fashion. Regardless, she knew she still had to do this thing for the Man or she'd never be forgiven and, taking a deep breath, sat behind Duo and put her hands around his waist with the self-same feeling of resignation as if she had allowed herself to take the Lord's name in vain for sake of profit. It was completely not, though. She knew it wasn't. Maybe it was because she was finding the way her nerves were shot actually felt good. Adrenaline, the natural drug, was flowing all through her and giving her a high like she'd never known possible. How she knew she shouldn't be enjoying herself but when Duo started the engine and they sped off from the barn, from her family, from the world it seemed, it felt like she was flying like a bird. Feeling the wind in her hair, the soaring of wings on her back...she didn't blame Duo was his passionate bid for freedom. If this was what it felt like she wanted it too.

Well, partly. The other part kept to her duty. Her duty for God. There had been teachings about letting yourself be led from the path of righteousness by giving in to temptations like the ones she was feeling now. She wouldn't be like Lucifer, the fallen angel. She would be like Jesus had been in the desert; like the man himself. Before was a world she couldn't live in if she wanted to remain in God's favour and that was worth everything to her.

No.

Shamefully she admitted to herself it wasn't God's favour she was after but his son's. Jesus'. The man's. That was what truly mattered to her. She wanted to be good in his eyes and the only one there was. It was selfish beyond anything she'd ever felt before and it felt strange to her. What had happened to her pure upbringing and moral values?

"We're almost there!" Duo shouted, his words being clipped short by the wind whistling in her ears. "Just a little further."

"Okay!" She shouted back but she couldn't tell if he'd heard her or not. He gave no signal that he had. She leaned closer into him and could smell the leather from his jacket and some form of cologne. This must be how Hilde feels when she's with Duo too. Hilde! She recalled what Duo had said about her waiting for him and felt guilt. "Duo," she asked, leaning closer to his ear. "What about Hilde?"

The muscles in his back contracted in a shrug that Relena felt more than saw. "She'll manage. This is important too."

Relena wasn't entirely convinced. "If you're sure..."

"Sure I'm sure." The bike began to slow down as they approached what Relena knew was the tunnel. "We're here."

They both hopped off and Relena removed her helmet, tossing her head from side to side to loosen up her hair again. She clasped her hands to her arms instantly as the chill of the evening rose up through her. She wished she'd had a warmer jacket with her.

Duo removed his leather one and put it on her shoulders. "You look cold," he offered in way of an explanation. "So why is it we've come out here?" He looked around himself, trying to figure out what the appeal to Relena had been. "I mean, there's not much to see, is there?"

"It's not about what there is to see, its that I'm waiting on something for a friend of mine."

"A friend? Define friend. A friend as in me?"

Biting her lip, she shook her head. "Can you keep a secret? I mean really. You can't tell anyone you know and you can never mention it again if I do?" He zipped his fingers across his lips and looked at her encouragingly. "Alright. Well, the truth is that I have Jesus hiding in my barn. It sounds stupid but its true. He even has the stigmata and everything. He asked me to get a package for him at the train tunnel and that's why I'm here."

To her annoyance, Duo cocked an amused eyebrow. "You know if you didn't want to tell me you didn't have to. Why make up a whole lot of crap like that?"

"It's not 'crap'!" She insisted. "It's true. God smites liars, you know."

"Does Jesus? Or does he punish in some other way?"

She didn't quite know what that mean but she felt her cheeks flush more at Duo's suggestive stare than anything else. What did he think she was doing? Sleeping around with her Lord? The look in his eyes certainly told her as much. "You know, it doesn't matter. I just thought I'd tell you."

Without looking at him, she entered the train tunnel, taking care not to trip over the tracks. He called to her, "What are you doing?" but she didn't reply. In truth, she was embarrassed. She'd confided in him and he'd laughed in her face about it. He didn't need to believe her but he shouldn't have spoke about it like she was an idiot. "Relena?" She wasn't going to answer. Not until the flush in her cheeks had disappeared. "Relena don't you know there's a train coming?!"

Her eyes widened as she heard the distinct rumble and looked behind her. She had to find the package now or it would be destroyed. She broke into a run until she felt her foot kick something. The package. In a clear swoop, she reached down and grabbed it and began to sprint back the other way. The train was getting louder now, nearer. She closed her eyes and pumped her legs as far as they would go, feeling like her heart was about to pump out her chest. With despair, she realised she wasn't going to make it out. She was too far away and the train was too near her. She cried out as a hand shot out and pulled her into the wall, a body pressed tightly against hers. Squeezing her eyes shut, she waited with bated breath until the train had passed and she was still alive.

"Jesus Christ!" Duo shouted at her. "Are you stupid or something? You could have been killed!"

"No I wouldn't have," she replied, not willing to admit that only a few minutes ago she'd thought she was going to be. "Jesus was protecting me."

She could feel his disapproving glare but ignored it. Together they walked out of the tunnel so they at least could see each other under the moonlight. At all times she kept the package clutched to her, not going to chance it slipping through her fingers. It was surprisingly heavy. She wondered what it could be. Perhaps it was a special Bible which was more accurate than the current one. In any case, she couldn't look. She'd made a promise that couldn't be broken.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you," Duo said when he could see her face again. "I was just scared for you, that's all."

"It's alright. I know you didn't mean it."

He pointed a slightly dirty fingernail at the package Relena was holding and her grip tightened protectively. "What's in there?"

"I don't know. I've not to open it. Just to give it back to him."

He gave her a look that was disapproving but didn't say anything more. Neither did she, for a police cruiser with its siren flashing approached them and Sheriff Treize Khushrenada himself got out of the car and aimed a gun at Duo whose and shot up in the air with a comical quickness that in other circumstances Relena would have found hilarious. After a quick inspection with his torch, Treize lowered his gun and narrowed his eyes.

"It's just you, Maxwell. Got word the convict was roaming about these parts looking for something. I came up to check it out and only find you and your who-" He stopped when he noticed the girl that was with the delinquent wasn't actually the traveler, Hilde. "Relena Darlain? What's a girl like you doing out in a place like this? Does your father know you're out with him?"

She shook her head and stuffed the package under the leather jacket, grateful that Duo like it baggy so it was well hidden. "He doesn't know I'm out at all."

Treize nodded and once again turned his attentions to Duo. "What do you think you're doing, taking her to a place like this? The train tunnel may be alright to take your other trash girlfriends but for a girl like Relena...I'm taking her home. You do the same."

Giving Relena one last glance, Duo started up his motorcycle and drove off into the night. Relena wondered if she'd ever see him again.

"I don't know what you're doing out with down and outs like Maxwell there," Treize said, crossing his arms and looking sternly at her with the disciplinary intention that made her feel like shrinking in front of him but she didn't. "You're too good for types like him, sweetheart. A girl been brought up as good as you deserves some one much better."

"We're just friends..." Relena explained but trailed off. What was the point? Treize had made up his mind what had happened and wasn't going to change his mind no matter what she tried to tell him. "I'm sorry. I just needed to get out for a while."

Treize nodded understandingly. "I forget that you're still a teenager too. Have you been out long enough?" She inclined her head in a 'yes' gesture. "Then I'll take you home. Hop in the back of the car." Something about this struck him as funny and a handsome smile cracked on his face. "Be careful who sees you or the whole town will think you got arrested, gossiping lot they are."

* * *

John Darlain paced up and down the kitchen floor anxiously. Just where had she gone? He'd gone to check on her when she should have been asleep just as he normally did only to find her bed was empty and there was no sign of her anywhere in the house, not even in her brother or sister's rooms. He had phoned the police office and had been informed that the patrol was already out. The receptionist said they would try to pass on the message as quickly as possible with there being an escaped killer on the loose. Well that had done plenty to ease his nerves. Not only was his daughter AWOL but to make things worse there was a murdered running around who would not doubt love to take the life of a young girl as pretty as Relena.

It struck him then that he had checked everywhere in the estate except the most obvious place: the barn. Mentally he could have hit himself. Calling the police had been the first thing he'd done when there was somewhere she was bound to be if not in the house. Where else would Relena go? She was always in there to think. She thought he didn't know but he did, he'd just never asked her about it. It was her way of coping with life without her mother and he had to respect that. Not tonight, however. Tonight he had to make sure she was alright. Putting on his jacket, he stepped out into the bitter winter's night. A frost crunched underneath his heavy boots as he followed the path to the barn but before he managed to heave open the barn door a police cruiser's headlights flooded the area so brightly he had to shield his eyes until they had been dimmed. To his surprise, Treize Khushranada got out, followed by Relena who had the nerve to not even look sheepish when she saw him.

"Mr. Darlain," Treize said with a charming smile that made John think it was no wonder the town loved him. "I found Relena down at the train tunnel with a certain Duo Maxwell. She's alright and I sent Maxwell on his way. You ought to tell her to be more careful about who she keeps company with. You both know there's a killer on the loose around these parts, after all, and I'd hate to see something happen to a girl as good as yours."

"Thanks very much for seeing her home alright, Sheriff," John said, feeling grateful for the extra effort the man had gone to to ensure his daughter's safety. "I'll be sure to keep a closer watch over her for the time being." With a salute, Treize got back into his car and drove off, aware that he'd just left the family in turmoil and glad to get away before this volcano erupted. John turned to his daughter and Relena saw the anger in his eyes. "What did you think you were doing, sneaking off with some boy? I thought I brought you up better than that! And to make things worse, you were irresponsible enough to do it when there's a madman on the loose. Tell me what came over you. What drove you to be so foolish when you know there's a devil on the loose?"

Relena stubbornly pointed out her chin and faced up to her father. "What have I got to be afraid of a devil for when Jesus is around to protect me?"

Before John could say anything more on the subject Relena stormed off in the direction of their house, leaving him in a stunned silence of just how much Relena truly was like her mother in nature.

* * *

Please review!

jellybean-kitty


	5. Chapter 5

Final chapter! This has to be the longest chapter I've ever written for a fanfiction! Hope you all enjoy it!

The song list is as follows: Charlie Christmas, Off-Ramp Exit to Paradise, Wrestle With The Devil, Nature of The Beast

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Whistle Down The Wind

Final Scene

The frost had gotten worse the next morning; a clear sign that the worst of the winter weather was only on its way. Though it would never snow, the wind could still deliver a bitter chill sometimes and it seemed today was going to be one of those days. It could always brighten up by midday since it was really early in the morning. Relena had snuck out of her room once again to see the Man but this time she had a package to deliver. It was like some secret mission she was doing for God Himself. She could be like the Mother Mary of their time except without the pregnancy.

However, things weren't going to go according to plan at all today. As she crept past Brat and Baby's room she heard the distinct sound of a young boy crying and her conscious became torn. She had to give this package to the Man who was probably pacing the barn floor for her but could she really let her little brother keep crying until she got back? Trying to block out the sound, she took a few more steps past the room but stopped again when she heard a great sniff and knew the tears were about to just flow heavier now. Relena was sure that the Man could wait a little while longer anyway.

Inside the room, Relena could make out the little bundle that was Baby sitting under the quilt. In no time at all she had crossed over to his bed and was cuddling him in her arms. "What's wrong, Baby? Why are you crying?"

"He let my kitten die," He sniffed. "He let our Angel die. He ain't Jesus, Relena. He's just a fella."

Stroking his hair, she cooed in his ear. "It's okay. He'll forgive you for saying that since you're upset. Tell you what. I need to go talk to him just now but why don't you come with me and you can wait outside until he can talk to you. I'll ask him to explain why he let your kitten die. There's got to be a reason."

Taking his hand, Relena led him to the barn, taking care to guide him as quietly as she could so their father didn't wake up and stop them. If she was to sneak out so early to the barn he would probably just think she was going to pray but if Baby joined her then things would look really suspicious. Baby was too young to understand that though so there was no point in explaining it to him. When they got to the barn door, Relena made him promise to wait on her until the Man was ready to see him. With a slight pout, he agreed and Relena stroked his hair before sliding through the barn doors.

As she had half expected, the Man was pacing the floor in a state of agitation, his hair the epitome of messy like he'd been running his hand through it all night. Relena saw his eyes were bloodshot and tired when he looked up at her. "Did you get it?" She nodded and passed it to him. His entire face lit up as he stared down at it. "You're an angel Relena," He said, making her blush and look away. "Is there anything I can do for you in return?"

"Actually, yes," She replied. "I need you to explain to Baby why you let his kitten die. He's really upset about it and I told you you'd tell him why. He's waiting outside for you. I'll tell him to come in." She opened to door and Baby walked in, looking darkly at the Man is if it had been him that had caused the little kitten's heart to stop.

"Come on up here," the Man commanded and Baby did as he said and sat up on the Man's knee. The Man tried to push out how uncomfortable he felt from his mind but he had to keep up with this charade. It wouldn't be long now until he could get away. "I'll answer all your questions with a little story. Do you remember how I told you the story of Annie Christmas? Well this is about her husband. Charlie.

"Charlie was a bit of a gambling man and night he went out to his local gambling hall. He started to play on the roulette wheel which was his old favorite and always saw him good. The trick for him was he would only bring a quarter with him so that he never spent more than he could afford. This one night, he went with his quarter and put it on red. He watched and waited with his hands in his head as the ball went spinning round and when the ball came to rest it was on the red. Old Charlie, he never moved. He just let his money ride without a word and the red kept winning again and again and again. It was after the sixteenth time that they realised he was dead. For the whole time he was dead but still a winner. Imagine the shock and the stunning loss of pride for the house who'd been losing to a man who had died. There's a time when we all gotta go. You see you start real fast but when it ends its slow."

"And the moral is?" Relena asked, making a point of nudging her head in Baby's direction.

He held up his hand. "There's more. When Annie found out she put a gun to her head. It was loaded with sixteen bullets. She was all dressed in black and had her necklace on when she fired every single one into her head. Her sons put her in a coffin then they put it in a hearse which was drawn by sixteen horses, one for each bullet. Then they all got on a barge and they drifted out to see to see a fallen angel whose fall was over. A fallen angel with a moustache.

"You see boy, there's gotta come a time when we've all gotta go."

"So what's the moral then?" Baby demanded.

"It was their time to go so they went," the Man concluded simply.

Baby jumped down from his knee faster than if it had been a red hot poker. His face was thunder and told Relena and the Man that he clearly wasn't satisfied. "If you were really Jesus you could have stopped it. You owe us that much. You ain't are you? You're just a fella!"

Before Relena could stop him he ran from the barn without a backwards glance. At least, Relena thought to herself, we're alone now. "I'm sorry about him. He's just a little bit upset. He really loved that kitten."

"I know he did but everyone has to die sometime. Even your mother did, and her mother and so it goes on and on. Things sometimes just happen."

"I know," Relena said, smiling regretfully. "I know they do. I'm not as naive as you seem to think. That was what happened to you, wasn't it? People don't see how beautiful you are, or how sweet you are. Maybe if they did, they would love you too."

"Too?" the Man questioned mischievously and Relena found herself blushing again. "And what does that mean?"

"It means," Relena replied smugly, trying to save her dignity, "That you are my Lord Jesus and I love you. All good Catholics love Jesus."

"I see." He was silent for a few seconds. "I heard you come in last night. So you got picked up by a police officer then? Treize himself, if I'm not mistaken. I was hoping you would have come in to see me but obviously if you were getting that kind of escort home your dad wouldn't have been to happy with you."

Relena grimaced. "That's putting it lightly. Why did you want me to come in to see you? Surely you weren't that desperate for the package?"

"Oh no. It wasn't that," the Man took a few steps towards her, knowing that he was about to cross boundaries to which he could never cross back again. He was now almost at the point of no return and from the look on Relena's face, so was she. He let his hands slip around her slender waste. "I was hoping to get a goodnight kiss."

Relena pulled away with a playful smile. "What a pity. It's morning now."

"Don't be a tease," the Man scolded, grabbing her arm and pulling her in towards him again, getting ready to release her if she showed the slightest sign of a struggle. He didn't know why, but he wasn't going to hurt her. No, not this one. Not Relena. "We can have a good morning one instead."

Electricity went shocking through Relena's veins when their lips met for the first time. They'd come so close before and now they were together. She and the Man were together now, finally. Secrets she'd been hiding from herself were coming out now. For example, she realised she loved him in a way that was not holy and another one...well it wasn't so much as a secret as a denial that she now knew was true and really always had but hadn't admitted it to herself. Even now she would have to hear it from his own lips before she would say it out loud.

Their bodies – hot and sweat covered despite the cold – fell onto a haystack as the Man's hands went wandering underneath her nightclothes, over her soft stomach but not daring to go much farther. She reminded him of a China doll he had seen once, her skin so smooth and so pure for some one who was a teenager. With all the activity going on between then her cheeks had gotten rose and her hair...when his hands stroked her hair it felt like it was silk strands he was stroking instead. He'd wanted this moment for so long it had seemed and now they had it he only wanted to share it with her, everything with her. Even the truth, but that would have to come in time. He didn't want to spoil this.

"You know," Relena whispered, in between stolen kisses, "I was almost killed by a train last night but I wasn't scared, not really. I knew you were there with me, in my heart and I knew that you loved me and would never let anything happen to me." She got up and fixed her nightdress, smoothing the material so it recovered her modesty. "I have to do my chores. I'll need to see you later."

He watched her leave, feeling almost lonely. He wanted her badly, so badly. Hell, he was even willing to ask her to run away with him when it was time for him to do so. Well, he would be willing if it wasn't for the fact that he knew she would never enjoy life on the run. She needed stability in her life and he could never give her it. That was why he would never ask. She would go with him and he couldn't do that to her. It was true was she said. He loved her. He loved her so much he was willing to let her go.

It was strange that he should be getting these feelings now after everything he had gone through in life. If only he had met Relena growing up. Then he would never have done the things he had done, or the things he had been accused. He would have settled down with a job and Relena as his wife, if things had gone according to plan. Unfortunately they hadn't. He unpacked the parcel and took the gun out his prison buddy had promised him. He hoped he wouldn't have to use it, but with these days of uncertainty looming ahead he couldn't be sure. Relena wouldn't like it, that was for sure. Pity for himself washed over him. These days had changed him. This family, _she _had changed him. He wasn't who he used to be and he was glad. He liked this new him much better.

But it was still too late for him. He could say a prayer for every one that there could ever be, but still there would never be one for him. John Darlain could say a prayer for his purest daughter or toll a bell for his only son but there was still not way out for him and all his prayers were loaded in a gun.

* * *

Hilde shoved her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket and grumbled moodily at the pavement. Last night had been a fiasco to say the least. For hours she had waited on Duo. Hours. Not only was he late but he hadn't bothered to turn up at all so, at midnight, finally giving up hope, she walked all the way back to her house and shamefully had cried herself to sleep because of what seemed like betrayal. It was her own fault, really. She should have known that Duo had no intentions of leaving this town. He was going to stay here until he died or was too old and jaded to do anything but conform to the majority. 

Chance had that she looked up and saw him. Duo Maxwell, the scourge of her life, making a beeline towards her, shoving past many innocent passers by with apologetic looks that would have been comical if she didn't hate him. She made a point of turning in the opposite direction and ignored Duo's pleads to stop and hear him out. Hear him out? That made her laugh scornfully. The only thing she would hear out of him was the yells of pain.

There was a tight pull on her arm and she spun round, her hand striking Duo across the face, her own a picture of burning fury. Her chest was rising heavily and to Duo it would have looked like steam was coming out of her pierced nose. Duo remained silent and didn't move at all. He hadn't even flinched, though it must have hurt like hell. "I waited for you. I waited for hours and you didn't even turn up." She shook her head. "We're finished. I'm getting out of here, to that off ramp exit to paradise that somebody told me about. Come to think about it, that was you. Well, only time will tell if it's there but going anywhere has gotta be heaven since right here is hell." Duo opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off with a fierce glare. She felt wild, like an animal. Well he would hear her roar. "I'm getting out of this joint, with or without you. I'll be strong and alone, no regrets except maybe one or two or even three. If I had to do it over again, I'd do it to you before you did it to me. I would have left you there, alone and cold."

"Hilde..."

"Duo Maxwell the next words to leave you mouth better be an apology or you're going to wish you'd never stood me up. Will you even tell me why?"

Duo shook his head. "I can't. I'm sorry, really. But you've got to tell me if you've seen Relena."

In disbelief, Hilde choked. "Relena? You made me wait for you for hours and all you can ask me about is Relena? Duo, you are never going to leave this town. You're going to grow old and die here, just like your old man will. In fact, you're going to turn into him. I can see it already."

"Never mind that now," Duo hissed back, real anger beginning to show through. "Bigger things are happening right now than you and your petty needs to get out of here. Relena could be in danger."

"Oh yeah?" Hilde scoffed. "Why? What's little Miss Mary Mother of God done? God forbid she forgot to say her amens after her prayers."

Ignoring this jibe at Relena, Duo pressed on, "I can't tell you why. Have you seen her or not?"

Hilde shook her head in pity. This truly was the end for them. "No I haven't. See you around, Duo." She made no motion to leave and Duo gathered from this that it was her intention that he should be the one to go on his way. He didn't say anything more to her but shoved past, leaving the scent of his cologne lingering lustfully in the air. With him gone, Hilde wiped away the tears which were about to fall.

"I know why he wasn't there last night," A voice purred from behind her, clearly amused and delighted by the scene it must have witnessed. "I watched it all from behind the trees." Hilde turned round and saw Dorothy Catalonia, a well known gossiper and trouble maker in a more subtle way. Her weapons were words, not deeds and one to be watched. Famous for telling truths, but infamous for twisting them.

"What?" Hilde asked, at a loss.

"I was there with my good friend Quatre doing what good friends to best."

Impatiently, Hilde snapped, "Stop talking in riddles."

The blonde haired girl shook her head and sighed. "We were at the train tunnel, innocently minding our own business when we hear this almighty racket which could only belong to a motorbicyle. Well, me, being quite irritated and wanting to find the culprit who disturbed us, went out to find out just who was responsible and what did I see? Relena and Duo making their way inside the train tunnel. I quickly hid, so that they didn't get embarrassed about being found out. I must have hid for around ten minutes or so because a train had passed completely through. Next thing I knew, Relena emerged barking about something to Duo that was far too interesting for me to not eavesdrop in on. In short, I know what this 'big secret' is that Duo can't find it in his heart to tell you." She stopped then, smiling indulgently at Hilde in a way that asked her if she wanted to hear more.

Under the sweet lips Hilde could see there was malicious intent but she wanted to know more. She wanted the full story. "What was she saying?"

"Well, I was quite taken aback by the girl's claims that I was shocked to the bone. However, she told him that she had Jesus hiding in her barn and He asked her to fetch Him a package." She shook her head again ruefully. "Poor boy. Poor, poor boy. No wonder Duo's worried about her and was so desperate to get close to her last night too. Well, apart from obvious reasons..." She let this sentence trail off, looked suggestively at Hilde

"What's the other reason? Dorothy just spit it out!"

"Surely you know that there's a killer on the loose. Well put two and two together darling. Just who do you think this man that Relena's got hiding in her barn is? It sure as hell isn't going to be Jesus." Hilde gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "And just what do you think is in that package? Just think...there's a murder who's got his weapon and a girl who's knowingly taken him under her wing. Breaks your heart doesn't it?" The deceitful smile returned again. "Think about it. This girl's leading your Duo astray and at the same time's trying to trick him by saying the other man she's got eyes for is in fact our Lord, Jesus Christ. Can't you see, sweet heart? It's Relena who's to blame for Duo's corruption. They call her a good girl but...well, you and I know better don't we?"

Hilde couldn't move, even when Dorothy stalked away with all the grace of a lioness she couldn't so anything. She would never had thought. Relena. Relena Darlain. Sweet Relena who was everybody's friend and nobody's enemy. She was the one who had stopped Duo from taking her away last night. It was her fault and all this time she pretended to be so pure and innocent. Innocent? She laughed. That was a joke. She was about as innocent as a prostitute. Eyes narrowing, she knew exactly what she had to do now. Revenge was on call here. Relena took the man she loved so now she would do the same.

* * *

Frowning, Relena walked through her little brother and sister's room in search for Baby who had been missing for hours. He would have to be around some where but he had picked a good hiding place this time. In the middle of their yard, she stood and scratched her head. She had searched practically everywhere that she knew of but he hadn't been in any of those placed. His bedroom, the kitchen cupboards, the fields, the sitting area. Everywhere that he normally chose for hiding spots he'd shunted on this occasion. Panic was now beginning to seep through. What if he'd gotten hurt? Or even lost! He might have wandered too far from home, been picked up by strangers and then – She stopped her thoughts there. She had to stay rational. Kids went missing for ages longer than this and turned up alright. 

To further pick up her mood of optimism, when she'd interrogated Brat her little sister hadn't been much help not worried, a clear sign that the two were in cahoots against her. It was no wonder, really. In their eyes it must seem that the Man had been spending all his time with her instead of them. In fact, behind her back they would probably be complaining about how much she'd been 'hogging' him. She didn't mean too. Well, actually she did. But she didn't mean to make them feel sore about it. That at least was an accident. They just...they just didn't understand. They were still children. Funny that. Not long ago she had been a child herself. Yesterday, before the train tunnel she had been one. Now she felt experienced in ways a child should never be and that therefore meant she was no longer a child: she was a woman. That meant that she could understand why she and the Man spent so much time together but her siblings couldn't. To their eyes it just seemed that Jesus favoured her over them and it would seem unfair and, alright, Relena would admit that to a certain extent he did. It was different though. It was a different kind of attention.

During her train of thoughts concerning the different issues at hand she thought of a hiding place that Baby had never used before but which he wouldn't expect her to look in a million years. Of course, why would she look for him in a place she was more than likely to go eventually?

In less than thirty seconds, she's bounded up the stairs which led to her bedroom and flung herself onto her bed. "I hope there isn't some one under my bed because if there is I'm going to-"

"Don't even bother Relena. I know you know I'm here," came Baby's voice from underneath.

Relena frowned and rolled from her bed onto her floor, propping her head up with her arms. "You should be outside playing, or in your room playing or just playing somewhere. It isn't healthy so sit under a bed all day. Do you know how little I clean underneath it?" Baby gave her a look that told her he wasn't amused in the slightest. "Okay, what's up? Are you still upset about Angel? It's okay. She's in heaven now."

"It's not that," Baby snapped. "Not_just_ that. It's a lot of things and its all about him." Relena didn't doubt she knew fine well who 'him' referred to. "I asked for a Christmas bonfire, didn't get it. I asked for answers, didn't get them. He's not who he says he is!"

"Because he's not giving you your every command? He's Jesus, Baby. Not a genie. He's not obliged to give you every little thing you want."

Baby stuck out his lip. "Nobody knows what they're talking about. They don't have a clue."

Sighing, Relena reached out for his hand. "Even Jesus wouldn't give me and answer even though he probably knew them. So, I think that the answer is coming up with answers of out own."

Considering this, Baby replied, "Jesus said that when peoples times up they go. Is that why he sent mum away?"

"She was sick for an awful long time so maybe he time just came. Maybe he thought it was kinder."

"So if it's not Jesus fault, who do we blame?"

Relena smiled lovingly at her brother and his child's logic. "Sometimes there's no one to blame." The familiar sound of a motorcycle's rev sounded outside the house and Relena dashed to the window and saw Duo parking his bike and walking up the front door. To her it sounded like thunder coming up from the ground but now it caused her adrenaline to boil, thinking back to the night before when she'd felt more free than she ever had in her life. "Baby, I might be away for a little while. Don't do anything stupid and keep out of trouble."

Outside, she put her hands on her hips and gave Duo a mock stern look that was on the verge of disapproving. "Just what are you doing here? I thought that sheriff chased you away?"

"Aw, it would take more than a sheriff to keep me from you."

"Sure," Relena replied, rolling her eyes at his cheeky grin. "I was sure you'd have left town by now. Why are you still here?"

He leaned against his bike and folded his arms. Clearly, this was a touchy subject. "One: Hilde's not happy that I didn't meet her last night. Two: I'm worried about you." Her eyebrows shot up in surprise at the latter statement. "About what you told me last night."

She laughed in what she hoped was a giddy way and pushed her hair behind her ears nervously. "You don't think I was serious do you?" He gave her a look which said he didn't know what to think. "Oh, come on Duo. Do you really think that I have _Jesus _in my barn?" She laughed again. "I only told you that so you wouldn't keep asking me about the secret. There's nothing to be worried about. Besides, you were in my barn last night. Did you see Jesus hanging around?"

"No..."

"Doesn't that tell you something?" There was no answer to this and as a result an awkward silence built up between them. "So was there another reason why you came here?"

"Kind of. There's a meeting tonight about the escaped killer. I think that we should go. I think its right that we should go. It sort of concerns us since we're practically adults. I'll take you, if you want."

Relena felt her eyes flicker fleetingly to the barn and licked her lips. "You call him a killer, but what was it he did?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. No one will say. So will you come with me?"

"Sure. Why not?"

* * *

It was a good turnout. Treize was pleased. If there was one sure way to catch this beast it was to terrify the locals so deeply that they became a more than a mob but a pack. A pack of hunters seeking out their prey. He let his eyes scan over the audience of the town hall and saw that there wasn't an empty seat in the house. There were so many people that some had to stand in the aisles and at the back. This was good. This was really good. The townfolk were already on edge and after tonight he would put the fear of God into them even further than what there already was. The hall was amuck with nervous chatter and hushed tones. Noise in the form a hum was rising steadily from the chairs below the stage in which he was standing and took this to be a good sign. They knew what they were here for tonight and were already discussing it amongst their peers. It wasn't just one age group attending either, he noticed. There were adolescents on the verge of adulthood, young adults, middle agers, pensioners but thankfully no children. What he was about to say tonight wasn't suitable for children. Tonight, he intended to get his way. Tonight he hoped this man hunt would end, for the good of the town and the people in it. 

"My good people," He called out and the quiet din went down with an apprehensive silence. "I'm sure its no secret why you've been called here tonight. As you are well aware, there is a criminal on the loose; a devil of a man. And he's not been caught yet. It is my intention to seek him out tonight and put an end to his tirade once and for all, one way or another. But that's up to you all. Are you prepared? You'll have to be. You've got to be prepared to wrestle with the devil tonight before the moment is past or you'll find it could be your last."

From inside his coat, he produced a Bible and opened it on a page he'd prepared earlier. If there was one way to set a clincher it was to use what these people knew more than anything else. Set the fear of God by using the fear of God, so to speak.

"And the Lord said 'They shall take up serpents' and those who believe will be saved. And those whose faith is weak will perish with the devil. Test your faith. Put your life in the hands of the Lord. Who amongst you will take up serpents?"

There was a host of cries in favour and Trieze smirked. The mob was as predicable as he thought. Give them some bait and they would take it in a second. It was time to continue. "You all know about the Devil, don't you brethren? I bet its got you scared. You can feel it in your hearts and bones, he's in this very town and he wants your souls. You all don't think that you'll be spared. He's going to tempt you with a life of sine, tease you with his charming smile. But we've got the Lord here!"

"Yeah!" Cried his audience.

"We've got the truth now!"

"Yeah!"

"Yes, you've got the mighty!"

"Yeah!"

"No matter what you do, he's coming after you. You'll have to break him first, face the test, face the devil who never rests until he's finally cold and dead. He's there in the reflections on the river skimming by, he's there in the clouds as they blacken the sky. He's there in your bedroom and he can crawl into your dreams. He's anything he wants to be, but never what he seems. He's there in the foreboding you can feel in your bones. He's the one who chips the names on the headstones in the graveyard. He's there in your memories turning good times into bad and he's there in the future which he'll make you wish you never have.

"You see the movies. He's in the them, thinking about sex and guzzling alcohol; in the courthouse trying to make legal every horrible sin; in churches acting like he loves the lord above us; in your families making you take a look at those who you love."

The door of the hall creaked open and Duo and Relena tried to sneak in as inconspicuously as they could. No one even noticed them. They were far too interested in what Treize was saying. Relena wasn't at all. She was here to show face and also to see how close they were to catching this 'killer'. She scanned through those gathered already and saw some familiar faced, her fathers among them. But there was also one there which she didn't expect to see. She tugged at Duo's jacket and pointed out Hilde to him. He looked over at the girl whose back was turned and shrugged like it was nothing to do with him.

"Miss Darlain, Mr. Maxwell," Treize said, smiling. "How nice of you to join us. I always say its great to have the younger generation involved in our affairs. It's shows that there are some of the young who do have integrity."

"We're happy to come, Sheriff," Relena smiled back, feeling uneasy by his too friendly tone.

On hearing their two names, Hilde stood up and faced them, her cheeks flushing. Some nervous eyes watched her as if she were about to burst in to flames but she didn't care. Relena had some nerve to take Duo here and parade him like he was her own. Some nerve! Well she about to teach her a thing or two about nerve. She had the guts to do it, even if the whole town wanted to burn her at the stake for it

"You all know about the devil, don't you? Don't you?!" She cried, lavishing the looks of anger and horror which were being shot her way for disrupting Treize's speech. Funny how when Relena had done so no one even batted an eyelid. "You all know he's lying in wait. He's lying in more ways than one. Every time he uses you, breaks a promise and breaks your heart." Her eyes went to Duo. "And thats why love turns to hate. Are you going to save me Duo? One more chance to save my life. Show me that you care." Then her glare turned to Relena. "Don't you think its time that you grew up? Such a gullible, stupid girl. I hear them call you a little angel. Little angel? Puh. A little tramp. Your secrets out and I don't care!"

Relena looked at Duo, horrified. He shook his head in both disbelief and adamantly. "I swear I didn't tell. I'd rather go to hell. You know that, Relena. I made a vow and you know I'd never vreak it. I'd never lie to you."

"How many Goddamn vows have you taken up to now?" Hilde questioned angrily. "Have you kept a single one? Oh, forget it. You're pathetic and that's the only truth. How can you be so blind? Didn't anybody know? The devil's been here all the time. He's waiting, playing hide and seek up in Relena's barn. He's dangerous and armed. He's got a gun and he's not afraid to use it. This killer is strong and you're all so...so...so weak!"

Before she could be stopped, Relena fled from the hall. No one was fast enough and most didn't even notice. There was an outburst of yells and screams so fierce that Treize found himself shouting in order to try and calm them down. "It's time that this was over. Your nerves are raw and your hearts begin to pound. We'll bring him in, hunt him down. A little bit of slaughter is justified to bring us back our town. We'll meet here in an hour and then we'll chase him out. Bring whatever weapons you have!" He watched calmly as there was a scramble with people trying to climb over each other, desperate to take part in this hunt. It was the very scene of chaos he'd pictured when this had all started; right when they got to the climax the nerves of the town would shatter into something else, something subhuman. This was the result. This was what he needed.

When everyone had cleared out, the only people left where himself, Hilde and Duo. Hilde had slumped into her chair with her hands holding up her head, clearing thinking she'd done something terrible. Trieze didn't doubt she had. This man could be an innocent after all. There was a slight chance. Either way, his punishment for living was about to be exacted in the most formidable way. There was a wild animal on the loose tonight and it was no murder. It was the townsfolk. This man wouldn't stand a chance, innocent or guilty. Either way, everyone would think they were safe again so his job would be done. From what he'd heard from the other officials, this man would not be a repeat offender but still the law was the law. It just so happened that after it all concluded he would be deemed a hero. An inevitable plus.

A slinking figure taking the form of Duo Maxwell in the back caught is attention and brought him back to reality. There was one more problem to deal with and that was Hilde. After this, no matter what outcome there was, she would be hated. Even if they got the murderer instead of being deemed a hero the town would turn on her for exposing a respectable family that would no doubt have an even great respect John Darlian provided he let the mob enter his land and hunt down this felon and they would pity and forgive Relena, thinking that the devil had corrupted her. Hilde's words would not fall on deaf ears.

"Can I offer you a suggestion, Miss Shiekbieker?" Hilde looked up at the sheriff, her eyes wide in fear. She knew exactly what the consequences of her vengeful act were going to be. "Take the next bus out of town. The town won't forgive you for your words against Relena. They may be true, they may not be. Personally its not my concern. My concern is now for you. Get yourself out and don't come back. You'll have a better, freer life away from here anyway and you know it."

Hilde nodded like there was no one inside her head, like she was a robot. Her movements were rusty and it was clear she was in a state of almost shock. Her legs looked stiff as she got up from her seat and made her way to the door but Duo stopped her with a gentle smile. "You don't have to go alone. Let me go with you. I don't care what you've done, I don't care what you've said. If you'll have me, I'll have you."

She blinked several times and looked almost childlike in her vulnerability. She couldn't quite believe what Duo was saying. "But...Relena...?"

"Relena and I were never meant to be together. She was some childish fantasy that I needed closure from and now I've got it. All it told me was that it was you I want, babe. It was always you. I was just too blind to see that I was taking you for granted. I'm not going to lie, I enjoyed that. Not anymore. If you let me come with you things will be different. It'll be you and I on our own. So, do you go it alone or can I come with you?"

She smiled. "Going it alone sounds like a big adventure but I'm not looking for an adventure. I'm looking for a new start."

"We'll start together then," Duo said and took her hand.

* * *

Her legs pounded on the ground harder than she had ever ran before. There wasn't much time and what had seemed like a big journey when she'd been with Duo now seemed to extend to forever and beyond. Would she make it? She would have to. Her heart would let her. It wouldn't give up on her when it was that which was at stake. She had to warn him to get away. She had to let him have a chance to live. She _had_to. A cold breeze picked up and sent a chill through her as the sweat from the effort fought to heat her back up. Her head felt so dizzy that she barely heard her father behind her calling for her to stop. Eventually she did and turned round to face a familiar man that she didn't know. It was her father, but a part of him she'd never seen before. 

"Is it true?" He asked, his face blank but the anger in his voice giving away the emotion he was trying to hard to hide.

"Yes."

"Don't go back there. Don't disobey me. Keep away."

At that point something inside of her burst. It was a feeling that she'd been suppressing something from so long ago that she hadn't even been aware it was there but it was and she knew immediately what it was. Love. Not for anyone else but that one person who she was doomed to love until the day she died. "You don't care about me the way he does. He _loves _me, dad. He loves me. Thats worth everything to me."

Before he could reply she began to run again, this time choosing to take a shortcut across the fields where she knew she had the advantage over her father should he choose to try and catch her. There was not chance of that anyway. She was as fast as a horse and ten times more agile. Her father was past his peak. The one time she decided to look back, he was just a smudge on the horizon, not even trying to stop her anymore. He knew there was nothing to do. There was nothing anyone could do against a young heart in love. It was too strong to defeat, even after its destroyed. It was love that was going to see her through this, she was sure of it. It was love that was making her legs run that little bit faster, even though they were close to collapsing underneath her.

Pushing on even harder, she was able to catch the first glimpse of the farm in the near distance. Hopefully it was time enough to save him. It just had to be. There was no other way around it. If she didn't make it and he died...No! It wasn't going to end that way. She was going to get to him in time and he was going to get away.

As she reached ran through the barn doors she practically collapsed and his strong arms, quick to rise from his position of rest, caught her.

"Jesus, Relena!" He exclaimed. "Where's the fire?"

"The town's people," She panted out in ragged, harsh breaths. "Hilde told them that you were here. I don't know how she knew but she did. Now they know. Oh Lord they know! And they're coming after you. They want to kill you! They won't stop until you're dead."

The Man straightened up and her along with him as she began to cry. It didn't feel at all unpleasant to hold her close to him and comfort her. In fact, it felt right. She seemed to fit into him in a way he'd never though anyone would. "I'll need to make a run for it. They'll kill me otherwise."

"I'll keep you safe!"

He put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away from him at arm's length, looking straight into her tearful eyes. "Relena, you've got me all wrong. You should get out of here."

"I know who you are. I'm not some stupid little girl."

"What if I had spent the last five years in prison and that the wounds I have were self inflicted to help me escape?"

Relena shook her head as if trying to drown out the cries of demons in the air. "I-I-I wouldn't believe you!"

The Man forced her to look at him, even though she tried her hardest to avoid his gaze. "Would Jesus lie? What if I'd done something too terrible to imagine?"

"I would forgive you!"

He pulled her in tight, afraid to let her go. "I can't bring your mother back."

"I know," Relena whispered. "I know. I've always known. I don't want you to leave me. I need you. I need you to be who you are." She leaned back so she could see his face and the truth she knew she would give her. "What did you do?"

Part of him wanted to look away but he knew he would never forgive himself if he did. If it was the truth Relena wanted it was the truth she would get. "I killed a man. Not just a man, in fact, but my own father. You see, years of abuse and neglect caused me to hate him so much even being in the same room with him made me want to kill everything in sight but I always held off. I had faith that God would save me eventually and I've have a new life. But one day, one day he pushed me too far. Not only did he hurt me, but he hurt my mother too in ways a woman should never be hurt and so all the pain, misery and sin the man had drove me towards over the years came tumbling out an I took a nice and drove it into his heart fifteen times; once for every year I could remember that he'd caused misery for me and that happened to be once for every year I'd been alive. Yeah, I'd only been fifteen at the time but I was an old fifteen year old. I had the body and mind of a man years my senior."

"Are you sorry?"

The Man found himself blinking stupidly at her, not quite understanding what he'd just been asked. "What?"

"Are you sorry you killed him?" Relena repeated, praying that the answer would be yes. It wasn't justifiable by any means that he should have done it but at the same time it wasn't completely sinful. A person could be pushed too far and from what she gathered – and knew in her heart was true – he had done it not for himself but to protect some one that he loved. How could something like that be a sin?

"I'm only sorry that I killed him because I wish he'd had had a chance to get properly punished for what he did. I wish he wasn't dead."

"Don't you see?" She asked, her eyes searching so deeply that they appeared to reach his soul. "That's enough. You're sorry, you know what you've done wrong and you regret it. That's enough to be forgiven." With incredulity she began to laugh. "You can have redemption."

There was a sadness in his eyes as he said, "No I can't because I can't have you."

"What's your name?"

"It's Heero. Heero Yuy."

"Heero..." She repeated, the word seeming to slip through her mouth naturally. "It seems to me you've waited until the time came. I believe you returned for us at last. It seems to me you tested me in so many ways and I believe that I've passed every single one."

"It was never a test..." He murmured into her neck. "I need you to tell me something. Look at me. If you go deep inside my eyes do you see a saviors? A prophet? A priest? Or do you see what I see? Do you see the blackness there that you should fear the most? If you know me then you have to. There are hungry devils everywhere and its like its on my heart they're feasting on. I want to rise about it and if I had the chance to fly away I'd take it. I'd see myself released. I'd fly above what is soon to be a carcass."

"I don't know why you're trying to make me doubt you and I don't know why when I believe my spirit and what it tells me. Some day soon they'll no longer threaten you and until that day all my prayers are for you. They're yours to take if you'll have them."

The man Relena now knew as Heero let go of her and began pacing the floor, kicking at the hay. "The things that you despise the most may be the ones that can stand up the most. There are a lot of things you've yet to learn about the nature of the beast. No matter how much you pray there'll always be wars and plagues and death and terror which will never stop and there's nothing you or I can do about it."

"I'm not afraid. You taught me that."

"Relena!" He cried in frustration. "Why can't you see?"

"I'm not listening to a word you say. It was God that sent you to me. I know it. He meant for your redemption. He meant for you to have another chance!" She grabbed a hold of his arm to stop him from walking away from her. "Why won't you listen to me?"

"Because you don't know," He replied, almost shaking with an anticipation for something Relena hoped she'd never see. "What do you think is the only sound left in this world, when all other sounds have stopped. It's the breathing in and the breathing out. It's still, still in me. I might have been forgiven but I can still feel it in me; this beast. No matter how much you say you love me or I love you it'll never stop, Relena. You have to understand that."

"I...I can't!" She pushed herself into his body. "It's _you_who doesn't understand." Slowly his arms wrapped around her body and she felt safe again. "You don't understand. It's you. There's nothing inside of you but you! You control who are are and you can control this other part of you that you're scared of so much. I know that because..."

"...No one's ever looked at me the way you're looking at me now..."

She bowed her head as if in prayer. "I can't help it. I love you."

He leaned in towards her and kissed her for what he feared was going to be the last time. The sounds of angry voices were approaching and he knew he didn't have much time. It would take all his wit and cunning to get out of here alive. Plus he had to make sure Relena got out too. If there was one thing right he was going to do in his life it would be to make sure she didn't get pulled down with him.

Before their kiss could intensify further, he took Relena by surprise and pushed her out of the barn, shutting the door quickly before she could protest. Already he could hear some one pulling her back and knew they had arrived. The time had come. He reached into his pocket and took out his gun, realising he had no further use for it. As long as he lived he would not kill another person. No one deserves that and his soul didn't deserve the guilt. He tossed it on the floor and kicked it away almost in disgust. Yesterday he was even contemplating on using it but now he knew the urge wasn't in him anymore. He didn't want any more blood on his hands unless it was to be his own, which, judging by the only plan he could think of, was about to come true.

In the corner there was a can of gasoline and he already had matches in his pocket. Those two combined with the hay and wood in the barn would kick up one hell of a bonfire. He poured the gasoline around the barn, trying not to gag at the strong smell it created and as he lit a match and let it drop, he realised that it was much better to go out like that than to be prodded to death by the thousand imps with pitchforks which were waiting outside. In here, where fire was lapping up around hi feet, was his heaven and out there was his hell.

As the barn went up in flames, the townsfolk had to shield their eyes. It was brighter than any star in the sky. John watched in sorrow as his daughter's only refuge burned on and had to keep a firm grip on her while she struggle and squirmed to get away from him. She kept screaming a name out one which was familiar to him only because he was in such close connections with the Sheriff. It was the name of the wanted felon they had been hunting for. It was he that was trapped in the smoke and the flames. They had got him.

When he felt the fight in Relena simmer down to nothing, he released his grip on her and she slunk down to the ground. A member of the community was quick to provide her with a blanket to put over her shoulders and she accepted it numbly. Her face, darked by the filth and soot from the fire, had clean lines were tears ran down her face in a torrential downpour. She no longer made a noise but wept silently into the night. John realised there was nothing more he could do for his daughter than let her despair ease out. Who ever it was she thought the man in the barn had been, she had become attached to him. That was evident.

Fire fighters were quick to arrive at the scene but by the time they put the fire out, it was too late. Anything that had once existed within it had been destroyed completely. Relena watched with vacant eyes as they hustled to retrieve anything that would prove the man had been in there but there was nothing. Thoughtfully, Sheriff Trieze walked around the perimeter of where wooden walls should have been and then wistfully looked at John.

"He's gone. Not a trace of him left. That fire must have been some inferno to melt human bones like that. Either way, it's all over. We can all go home."

"I hope he gets to go home..." Relena whispered, catching her father's attention.

He knelt down beside her and put his arm around her shoulder. "That man wasn't Jesus, you know that don't you?"

"I always did..."

Baby took her hand and Relena noticed that she too was crying. "He's free now, right?

"He'll be back," She answered, wiping her tears away and offering her brother a watery smile. "I just know he will."

"You know, I preyed for a Christmas bonfire and I got the biggest one of all. For some one who's just a fella, he can sure answer prayers."

Laughing a little, she said, "Yes he can."

-

Christmas came shortly afterwards and was a quiet affair in the Darlain household. In the time leading up to it Relena had walked about as if in some kind of dream, like everything that was happening around her didn't exist and soon everything would get back to normal, whatever normal was. For it being Christmas, she wasn't in a merry mood. It felt like something was amiss and really it was. He was no longer with her. The man whose name he'd told her to be Heero.

As she walked past the front door there was a light chap at it. Her entire face lit up in silly expectation. She ran to it and opened it wide, only to find no one was there. Instead, a piece of paper wrapped around a red rose lay there. Looking around her, there was no sign of anything else out of place. Mystified, she bent down to read the note and as she did, she smiled:

"_For all your prayers, a simple thanks. Jesus lives." _

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_ Please review!_

_jellybean-kitty _

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